Twisted Infatuate Views
by sadistickunais
Summary: Lilith/Mordecai. A tiff develops more meaning than either Lilith or Mordecai thought it would. As time goes on, it has different outcome than both could have predicted. A 4 Part Mini-series. Part 4 is be Post-Borderlands 2, about two years after everything has ended. Part 5 will follow the immediate end of Part 4. This story contains SPOILERS, mostly for BL2, so be warned.
1. Part 1

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will Borderlands, and this is NOT for profit. All this belongs to the rightful owners: 2K games, whatever else…can't remember all their names but you get the drift. I own NOTHING.

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A/N: So….never written a Borderlands fanfic but I really think that Lilith and Mordecai would probably shag at some point, not that there's really any shagging in this fic; they're just…not really amorous. It's a one-shot for right now but could possibly be something more—not sure yet. Got a lot of other…fics to finish. . Please R&R your thoughts. Thanks.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts' _

_Flashback_

Everything else

**Twisted Infatuate Views**

* * *

She trailed her seemingly expert fingers up the roughened, dirt laden material of his pants, watching with piqued interest as his lungs expanded. The quick intake of breath told her he was all but comfortable with this position, his mask not betraying anything. Having him in this position was more than fitting, an almost advantageous venture if she hadn't wanted to see his face as she made good on her words. His tall, lanky but muscular frame shivered under the barest of touches, her fingers ministrations feather light and slow as they worked their way up to his gray shirt, only pausing for the briefest of moments at the chains that crossed his chest like a trap. She had long since removed his weapons, sniper and knife, and placed them in a locker somewhere to keep them safe. How she had managed to get rid of Bloodwing was still a mystery to her, the watchful eyes of the bird usually never left her. But the demonic bird was decidedly absent and she wondered, briefly, if this had been her companion's decision. As it was, she didn't know how long they had as Roland and Brick were bound to return soon from wherever they had gone to—most likely the Underdome. Sliding her vest off, Lilith adjusted to the warm air that tickled her now exposed albeit sweaty skin. The orange portion of her top was damp but she didn't mind. Carefully, she came to sit on his lap, legs on either side of his, while she planted her hands on his shoulders. Mordecai inhaled sharply at this gesture, which Lilith surmised had all to do with the heat she felt beneath her that radiated against the apex of her thighs.

Mordecai wasn't exactly the type of man she had seen herself sleeping with given the amount of eager people living on Pandora's sorry surface who were willing to do more than just bed her. Roland had made no passes at her despite the fact that he was a man with a healthy sexual drive; he'd confessed to viewing her as a team partner, nothing more or less. Brick, on the other hand, viewed her strictly as a lady, a sister and nothing remotely romantic. In fact, Lilith doubted Brick thought past destroying bandits. It was normal to find him constantly engaged in Mad Moxxi's tournaments, even alone, since he seemed crazy enough. The ex Crimson Lance soldier turned mercenary tended to accompany their resident berserker, always looking for an opportunity to claim a bounty—she had a sneaking suspicion that he was shagging Moxxi, too. And yet Mordecai, the hunter, always seemed to be just out of reach, paying her little attention other than to snap at her lack of rifle shooting skills, or misusage of revolvers. While it was true that Lilith relied heavily on her Phasewalking abilities and knowledge of Machine guns with elemental properties, it wasn't like she didn't have other specialized skills. However, the hunter would give her the same look, the one of disdain and disgusted disbelief, with Bloodwing sitting on his shoulder, scrutinizing her. Given their age difference of 12 years, more than likely, contributed to this problem; not to mention that she had strayed from dating colleagues. Having been dumped by another vault hunter in previous years, it has somewhat wounded her ego to enticing men who were as smart as she was; or smarter. She wouldn't go on to say that Mordecai, though older in many ways, was smarter or wiser. But he did have experience on her, even if she was a Siren.

But now, here, in this dimly lit room, a result of the setting sun, Lilith couldn't see how her companion could resist the heat and heavy lull of electrical currents she sent through her fingertips. Truth be told Lilith hadn't really ever explored the side of her powers that didn't destroy everything around it. Her fingertips, she'd recently discovered, held a small of amount of electricity that looped like a current on the tips. The steady thrum of it through her skin only served to explain why, perhaps, not many had touched her, or vise-versa. Sighing, she lightly trailed one finger down the side of his jaw, smiling coyly when it caused him to shudder against her. The action intensified the already lingering heat between them and Lilith clenched her teeth when his penis dug painfully into her thigh. Anticipation and excitement raced through her bloodstream at the action, Mordecai's short, hard intake of breath spurring her on. The unusually thin man was anything but skin and bones. His muscles were clearly defined, the outline visible through his clothing and yet he looked the opposite. When they'd first met she was sure he wasn't strong at all, that he'd break like a toothpick, that he wouldn't be much a force to reckon with in battle. His deceptively thin but strong waist was the first thing people underestimated. While he was nowhere near as powerful as Roland or Brick, his efficiency and knowledge of weapons made up for any brawn he lacked. Yet he still held an animalistic power within that lithe body of his, raw and somewhat frightening to be sure. Lilith knew she had a mean right hook and her simple hand contact could pack a punch, but there was nothing hidden about her, Phasewalking aside. The tattoos on her body spoke volumes if people bothered to ask or try to understand.

The Hunter's sleek frame was tied deftly to the nearest chair they could find in the hell-hole known as New Haven. The summer humidity and heat left little desire of human skin to skin contact, especially with all the lecherous, murdering bastards running the length of Pandora. However, for this particular moment, the fiery red-headed Siren could not find fault with the weather as it made the simplest thing seem sensual—like the bead of sweat rolling down the hunter's neckline from underneath the leather mask that encased his face. Lilith treasured moments like this, knowing full well he could see her every movement but she could not see his every reaction, no. She could only see his body's movements, the twitches, the spasms; she could only feel the heat radiating from his skin, the muscles beneath his pants, and the flesh beneath his clothing. And she loved every second of her ability to bring any man to his knees. Except for him. They had been back and forth through quests, missions, and hell, together. But the stubborn sniper wouldn't budge or give her an ounce of attention. Was it all a game? On some level she knew the interlude was a result of his ignorance. Yet in another way she supposed the entire situation sprang from something he'd said to her while in battle at Krom's Canyon weeks prior. Recalling it now, it seemed juvenile.

_Roland and Brick had taken off in another direction, an agreed strategy to take out as many of the bandits camps in order to avoid the avalanche of maniacs and psychos that might try to interfere with their killing Krom. Based off the information they had received, Krom had a canon that was better taken out by a skilled sniper than with brawns or a shotgun specialist. Lilith had been chosen as well because her phase walk would allow her to surprise Krom while Mordecai did his part. The Canyon was deep, foreboding and hard to maneuver. On several occasions they had gotten lost, turned around and confused. As was her usual, Lilith would tease Mordecai without abandon, blaming him for their mix-up with directions then telling him that she would feel better if he made it up to her. Contrary to popular belief, Siren's were not without feelings and while she did a spectacular job of acting as though rejection did not faze her, with Mordecai it truly did. Love was not something anyone on Pandora considered, and definitely not a Siren. But sex on the other hand, that was something that was hard to come by with the right type of person. She was sure that her looks alone could land her anyone under the sun on Pandora, the god forsaken planet hosting many a dirt bag in its midst. And yet, she wanted the hunter, more than anything or anyone else. At times she wasn't really sure of it but as the mindless days passed, full of killing bandits, of hot, humid heat, of endless stormy nights, Lilith realized how insanely bored she was. _

_It so happened that after defeating Krom, Brick and Roland ran ahead of them towards Scooter's Catch-a-ride station to get a car and left them walking, briskly, together. Mordecai had shouldered his rifle, Bloodwing perched shrewdly on his shoulder. Lilith, too, had holstered her corrosive sub-machine gun, running a somewhat trembling hand through her fiery red locks, fingers tense from the adrenaline rush and victory. Like most celebrations after their victories Lilith figured a well-earned drinking fest was in order as it usually was how it all happened. But this time she felt it would be different if the electric tension in the air was any indication. When they made it to the transport system they could find neither Brick nor Roland and assumed they had already left and were waiting at the New-U station. Shrugging, Lilith reached out to press the communications device when a hand caught her arm. She turned her gaze sharply towards the hunter, eyebrow raised in curiosity but also irritation. _

"_We don't have all day to just stand here. The Vault piece needs to be stored safely before that bitch comes to take it." Lilith warned, her thoughts drifting ever so briefly to Commandant Steele and the woman's never ending threats regarding the Vault pieces. "What is it, Mordy?"_

_He let a scowl place his face. "That's not my name, little girl."_

"_And my name is not little girl, you asshole," she snapped, wrenching her wrist free and turning to the transporter once again. She heard him snicker from behind but ignored it._

"_Little girl…suits your petulant, bratty attitude better than admitting you're one of the "almighty, beautiful Sirens" of legend. Hard to believe it, sometimes." _

_She bristled at this, her fingers hovering just above the electric blue button, her teeth gritted and crackling energy at her fingertips. "Repeat that again, jerk, and I'll make you pay for it."_

_His chuckle only served to cause her further infuriation, the caw of his bird sending her over the edge. Seconds later found her fist flying towards his jaw without any warning. He caught it easily, that aggravating smirk still on his face, daring her to try it again. Snarling, she activated her phasewalk, the electric energy from it buzzing and a soft pop sounding as Mordecai remained calmly in his spot, head towards the sky as if searching for her invisible form. She knew he could sense her—he was a Hunter, after all. But what he hadn't counted on was the switch of her artifacts from a corrosive level 4 to an electrical level 1. Surprise overtook him as she phased back into existence right next to him, the low electrical shock of her artifact knocking him over. The shock left a small window of vulnerability in its wake, which Lilith exploited, jumping him until her thighs locked his legs between them, one hand putting pressure on his shoulder while the other hand held the submachine gun to his face. Her fingertips were laced with blue energy that jumped wildly about her. Bloodwing cawed angrily above, ready to strike, awaiting his master's orders. And still, Mordecai did not show any fear at this display of domination, this power she held in the moment. He simply smirked again, to which Lilith became extremely aggravated. _

_And slyly, his mouth opened. "Little girl…I knew you'd want to be on top but I doubt you'd have it in you to do that without my help."_

_The bright blush that rose to her cheeks at his statement sent her into a furious, embarrassed rage as she back pedaled, almost stumbling in the process. She caught herself right before she would have fallen, rather ungracefully, on her backside, and made a complete fool of herself in front of the older man. She was livid with embarrassment and undiluted rage at this statement, anger and uncertainty rising to the depths of her cheeks in a vermillion stain across her pale flesh. Mordecai made to move to apologize, instead picking himself up and dusting himself off as if nothing had transpired, as if he hadn't insulted her or said a word out of the ordinary. He quickly turned to the transport system and pressed the button. Lilith barely had the sense to go with him, fingers barely touching his shoulder. When they made it back to the New-U station she could see that Roland and Brick were waiting in one car, cracking jokes and laughing. She forced herself to remain composed as Mordecai made his way to Scooter's and got them a car. She was almost to the gunner's seat when Roland turned to face her, eyes narrowed._

"_Where've you two been? Brick and I been waitin, it's gettin dark. More bandits'll be out soon."_

_She rolled her eyes despite the trembling of her fingers. "Shut up, we're here, aren't we?"_

"_Touchy," Brick answered as the former Lance soldier turned back to the steering wheel, a chuckle drifting to her ears._

_Lilith grimaced as Mordecai started the tank, following closely behind their team while she gripped the gunner's turret so tight she thought it might break from the sheer force. All she knew was that when they made it back to New Haven, she was going to kill the hunter, and wait until he begged for her to stop._

That things hadn't quite turned out that way was something she wasn't sure she could be upset about, after all. Having him here, somewhat helpless underneath her brought her a calming sense of satisfaction. Almost. But the satisfaction wouldn't be complete, she knew, until he was begging, in some form or another. As it was, he was shivering, the mere touch from her making his whole body shudder, that she knew it was only a matter of time.

"Mordy…" she cooed breathlessly in his ear, licking the shell of it with her tongue, following it up with a short nip. "Tell me what you want."

He grunted in response, finally beginning to struggle against his restraints in an effort to touch her. She smirked when the restraints held; he'd taught her how to tie them. He wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. Chuckling softly to herself, Lilith continued to trace the contours of his body, her fingers lingering on his neck where it appeared he was very sensitive. Deciding it was time to push their little game further, the red-haired Siren gently leaned over and slowly licked the length of his tanned neckline. Mordecai practically jumped out of his skin at the mere touch of her wet tongue, the sensation catching him off-guard in the blazing heat of Pandora. Smiling coyly, his companion slowly placed her fingers on the hem of his gray shirt, trailing her fingertips underneath the cotton material in an effort to entice his body temperature to rise further. All at once Mordecai's breath hitched, his legs jerking to cause Lilith's dangling feet to sway. She smirked as he exhaled heavily, his body quivering in response to her teasing ministrations. Sighing, she leaned forward until her lips hovered just above his, the scant inches between them making her sweat. His breath smelt of Rakk Ale—Pandora's finest—and his skin smelled of musk, dirt and machinery oil from cleaning his guns, something she found rather appealing in the sordid heat. Her fingers moved over his abdomen muscles, tracing the contours of the rippling flesh beneath their tips. Despite his blatant thinness the surprise of taut muscle beneath his shirt was pleasant if not rewarding to their game.

Normally she'd go in for the kill but Lilith wanted to drag this out as much as she could, because the longer she did, the more fun she figured she could have. In fact, Mordecai was all but a toy in this game without his ability to touch or move, for that matter. Still, she knew the other members of their team would soon return and she would not have the leisurely pace she did at the moment. Sighing inwardly, mostly out of the duress of interruptions, she decided moving forward quicker with her plan would allow for more time to enjoy the main part of her plan. With a little disappointment in her eyes she carefully began to untie the knot on Mordecai's legs, sure he would not do anything. When she was done with his ankles she moved to his hands, fingering the rope near his wrists for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. Seconds later found her pinned to the concrete ground of the building they'd been calling home for the past few months, the heat of the concrete making her hiss as it made contact with her skin. After she'd recovered from the initial shock of what had occurred, she brought her surprised gaze to his, still unable to make out anything other than his smirk because of the hunter's mask. His knees had trapped her legs and her arms were held down by his lithe hands. She opened her mouth to snap at him but he beat her to it.

"Little girl…teasing me wasn't very nice."

"It was the agreement," she spat as she tried to find a way to wriggle from his iron-like grasp. "You wanted it, so don't you dare deny it, masochist."

The hunter's smirk widened again at this. "The deal was, Siren, to see how long you could hold out." He brought his nose closer, sniffing the air around them. "Seems like it wasn't that long."

She blanched at this comment, knowing full well that he could smell her arousal in the air. He was a hunter, after all, and thus trained to pick up on the faintest hint of any living thing's scent. She would've blushed but Lilith was used to being the sexual party, the sexual object, and using her sexual wiles to achieve her goal. He traced a gloved fingertip down the side of her cheek, dragging it carefully down the side of her body until it paused at her midsection, which was bare—it always had been. '_If I play this right…I can still come out on top,'_ she mused despite Mordecai's triumphant smirk. A smile replaced her earlier lapse of composure, and Lilith arched into his touch, enticing him with her half clothed body, the thin sheen of sweat on her skin enhancing her already unearthly glow. If they were going to play, then she was going to play hardball and she was going to win. Steeling her nerves, she eyed his reaction to see if this pleased him or made him feel anything at all. At the quickly hidden shock she knew that her tacit compliance was not necessarily what he wanted; it caught him off guard. She realized he must've expected her to fight with him for dominance of the situation, to gain the upper hand, to challenge him. _'Oh but I will, Mordy, I will,' _she thought.

"Take the mask off and we can start this," she said, golden eyes glowing in the dimming light of day.

Mordecai cocked his head to the side in contemplation, considering her proposition for a minute before reaching for the back of the mask. He peeled it off and Lilith gasped as the inches of skin became visible, skin she hadn't seen since she was younger, skin that was covered in grime and not as uneven in color as she thought it'd be. She couldn't stop the puzzlement from washing across her face at this even color and his piercing blue eyes, eyes she hadn't seen since long ago. She had always been intrigued by how bright a blue Mordecai's eyes were, wondering if they were the brightest she'd ever seen anywhere. The red fogged spectacles that sat snuggly in his brown leathered hunter's mask shielded those spheres from the rest of the world. Whether for protection from sand and bullet sprays or prying, curious eyes Lilith assumed many people would never know. What she did know, however, is that rarely did anyone ever get to see them now, which was why the mien that settled upon her features made her companion raise an eyebrow. It didn't help that he was colorblind and she knew that the mask was a way of avoiding color issues. When someone lived in a world of colorless splendor, it wasn't easy being around those who saw it vibrantly, vividly, like the rest of their team.

"When was the last time you saw them?"

Lilith replied easily. "Probably when I was younger; you were already older, back then. They…" she drifted off when his smirk disappeared, "haven't changed at all."

The awkward silence that followed her statement all but vanished when she felt the hand near her middle continue its path downward where it immediately dipped into the waistband of her pants, lingering there. The sweat that had been accumulating on her chest began to make a slow path down the valley of her breasts, catching the hunter's wandering eyes. Her tube top suddenly felt constricting and she wanted nothing more than to tear it off, to feel the midday air that would feel cool in the heat. Her boots felts heavy and hot, and suddenly Mordecai was wearing far too much clothing for her liking; but she couldn't move her legs. His one hand had moved from holding one of her arms down and she decided to take advantage of this, bending her arm and pushing it backwards for leverage. She pushed her torso upwards until it forced him to release her other arm, sliding it to the side for support. Lilith placed her other free arm backwards for support as well, forcing the rest of her body up towards him until her lips met his. She could feel the chapped skin of his lips but her own moist pair had no problems with this as her tongue lazily slid out to lick them, softening them. The hand by her waistband was gone within moments, making a trail up her side where it connected with the back of her head, fingers tangling in her red hair.

And suddenly she moaned, their tongues meeting in a sensual dance of exploration. Lilith felt tingly all over, feeling the dull buzz of electric energy passing through her own skin to dance on her partner, causing him to twitch a little. The fire that suddenly ignited in the pit of her stomach was intensified by her siren prowess, the phoenix causing her temperature to rise. But it didn't stop there and she let out another groan as Mordecai's lips left hers and started a languid trail down the expanse of her blue tattooed skin, his teeth grazing her neck while the hand tangled in her hair tugged it back for better access to the hollow between her chin and collarbone. Lilith could feel her arms wanting to give way, her elbows trembling from supporting her weight and some of his own too. Even with the rough granite beneath her she managed to slide downwards, bringing his eager lips with her, until she was lying flat on her back, Mordecai atop her and never once ceasing his actions. His mouth did not bother to see how they were situated as it traveled down her neck to her chest, licking the thin, salty layer of sweat, only stopping when his tongue hit the barrier of her red tube top. Finding the material rather offensive he produced a knife from somewhere, dragging the sharpened blade down the middle of the obstructive clothing before she could protest. _'Didn't I...take that away from him before we started this whole…game?'_

Lilith was about to say something to him but could say nothing further when she felt one gloved hand settle on her hips while the other steadied himself from dropping all his weight on her, his lips carefully enveloping one of her breasts. She arched up into his mouth, the swirl of his tongue and nip of his teeth causing both of her pink hued nipples to harden. Her hands flew to his thick, heavy locks, not caring what they felt like or how dirty they were. The hand on her hip joined his mouth, settling on her other expose breast, teasing and pinching the other hardened nub until it was so sensitive that when he blew a cool breath on it she jumped. He easily held her down by her midsection, his tongue never stopping, the torturous skillful organ moving from lavishing her breasts down to the taut, smooth plain of her abdomen, down to her hips where her pants blocked him from further exploration. And suddenly she wanted the skin tight, sticky and filthy material off her legs, only pausing from removing it herself when Mordecai's mouth began a hard suckling motion near her hip bone. It was so hard that she knew it would leave a mark but she couldn't think that far ahead or that coherently because his hand had moved elsewhere again.

He had somehow managed to distract her so much that she hadn't noticed his hand rubbing slow circles at the juncture of her thighs, chaps be damned. The heat of her sex and the smell of her arousal only made the smirk on his face widen and widen as he glanced up—as much as her hands would allow, her digits still wound tightly in his hair—and saw the look of pure sexual need plastered on her feminine features. Lilith tried hard not to appear too excited but failed when she looked down to see his hands detaching her pistol holster from her leg. Shortly after she could feel her pants being peeled off leg by leg, his presence suddenly gone. She had no idea when he'd removed her boots but she didn't have much time to ponder this discovery; seconds later she was gritting her teeth in pleasure. His fingers gently probed the inside of the apex of her thighs, gloves gone, and entrance made easy due to the fact that she did not wear underwear. Her pants were so tight it was practically impossible. Her eyes closed, her hips arching as he rubbed the nub of her clitoris with the calloused pad of this thumb; the bundle of nerves that, when touched, sent her into a frenzy. She hissed as she suddenly felt those fingers replaced by a warm, swirling motion. Heat rushed to her face as she realized he was using his tongue on the most tender, secret part of her body.

And she couldn't get enough of it. Her fingers clamped into his hair as she tried to keep her hips from slamming into the warmth of his skilled tongue. Mordecai had to press firmly down on her hips this time with both hands, the scent of lilies and burnt earth emanating from her core much to his delight. However, the static electricity she seemed to give off was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he grabbed her hips and shoved them closer to his mouth. He drank deeply, like an alcoholic, of the nectar flowing from her, his teeth nipping her clitoris lightly as she moaned, her eyes closed, bottom lip between her own teeth as she fought for own control, control he was not about to relinquish while he did have it. Lilith, no stranger to a variety of sexual encounters has experienced pleasure from very few of the men she had slept with; this was different. Whether because of his age and experience the Siren had to assume his skills and ability to make her quiver came from the sheer amount of women he must've slept with throughout the years. Not one to be jealous of past lovers or exploits, she could only praise whatever semblance of a sex life he may have had prior to joining the team to hunt for the Vault. The skill of his tongue was unrivaled, though she'd never admit this to him openly; she assumed he must've gathered this by now, judging by how hard she was pulling on his locks. She tried her hardest not to yank his hair as his tongue hit a sensitive spot and her body shuddered painfully against him.

Her cheeks felt flushed and her vision was swimming, the thin layer of perspiration on her ephemeral hued skin noticeable to her own eyes. She was absolutely sure that the heat of the day added to the already edgy feeling that circulated throughout her bloodstream, causing her mind to trip over any coherent thoughts. If this is what it was like with just his tongue she was intrigued about what it would be like when the entire situation culminated. Her thought was broken and she inhaled sharply when she felt the heat of his tongue disappear, much to her disappointment. The red-headed beauty was about to throw a biting comment at his when she felt his tongue replaced, once again, by his expert fingers. She quivered when she realized that this time there was more than one finger exploring the sensitive walls of her sex; she couldn't cover the moan that escaped her throat. Moments later she could smell the scent of sex on his lips before they touched her own, the mix of Rakk Ale and her own taste creating an interesting flavor on her tongue while theirs intertwined. She hadn't known that Mordecai would be this forward, despite his older age but she couldn't say she disliked it at all. In fact, much to her pleasure and displeasure all at once, Lilith found herself trying very hard to act like this didn't drive her wild, trying hard to will her body not to writhe against his, not to squirm against his fingers, tried to fight the ache the coiled in her belly. But even without such movements he seemed to understand and know just what she felt, what she was thinking, without so much as a response from her. His lips on hers lightly bit her bottom lip until she moaned again, the plump flesh starting to look bruised. It wasn't to say he was rough but he certainly wasn't tender in his caresses. Feather light caresses with the intent to woo and not torture were not something she wanted at all. If he had been, Lilith was positive that she would've beaten him senseless—she wanted to feel him.

As this thought finished stringing itself together she dug her nails into his still clothed back, trying her hardest to leave a mark like he was now leaving at the base of her neck. When he'd stopped assaulting her mouth with his she had not noticed but could care less as one of her hands traveled down his back until it rested on pants, where she began to pull his shirt up. She wanted to touch his skin and cause him as much strain as he was causing her. His fingers never stopped their steady pace, which made it somewhat difficult for Lilith to concentrate on her other task but she was managing well enough having unbuckled his artillery belt. Why she hadn't removed it earlier was a thought that passed quickly through her head but it only lasted mere moments when she was able to shove the bullets and belt to the side. Her hands didn't wait even a second before she was pushing them into his now loose pants in search of his member. She remembered, briefly, how it had dug into her thigh, the heat delicious and the feeling making the ache in her core—temporary alleviated because of his fingers—flare up again with need. She let out a smile when he let out a deep groan, his ministrations suddenly ceasing while her deft hands circled him, her skin softer than his own hands. Mordecai did not pretend to think she was incapable of pleasing a man but he was, nonetheless, caught off guard when her feminine hands touched him. Doing what she thought might make him shudder was the idea behind all of this and Lilith wanted to be sure he did, that he was the one soon-to-be writhing under her. She was more than prepared to turn the tables, watching with intoxicated awe as he brought his hand to the floor to steady himself. While she was disappointed with the loss of his fingers within her, she couldn't help the power hungry smile that made its way to her face when his head fell to her shoulder.

Running her hands up and down the length of his pulsating penis, Lilith began to push him backwards with her body weight in hopes that he would oblige without resistance. She was delighted to see that he was fighting for control, trying to regain the upper hand but failing miserably, caving by the second. Minutes later it was him on his back with her splayed almost fully across his body but still on her knees, hand pumping the shaft of his penis in a slow rhythm. His hands, seemingly lost, reached out towards her; she stayed purposefully out of his range, her eyes taking in his hooded eyelids with a great, rumbling sense of satisfaction that settled deep within her. Not one to be unfair, Lilith knew her next actions would be pleasing for him but she'd be lying if she said this wasn't something she enjoyed, whatever her personal reasons were. The trembling hunter didn't have time to process what was happening when the Siren inched closer, her hands traveling up the length of his clothed thighs, creeping closer and closer until he noticed where her head was. He jumped when he felt her hot breath on the tip of his penis, cringing in anticipation at what she would do next. Lilith decided teasing him was denying them both something they wanted. Hesitation gone, she lowered her mouth, her lips closing snugly around the head of his penis before sliding down him, taking in as much as she could. His hands flew to her hair, threading the strands of her short red bob in his fingers. He hadn't really expected her to do that; neither did she. But his scent, the scent of sex, of musk, of earth, that invaded her senses made it difficult to pull away. Breathing in deeply, Lilith brought her head back up, sliding her tongue along the underside of his shaft, her eyes closing in pleasure as she placed her hands flat on his hip bones in an attempt to steady herself.

His moans were audible and she couldn't stop her mind from moaning with him, the moist heat between her legs increasing as his hands massaged her head. She wasn't the type to deny herself the things that she wanted, for any reason. She knew she certainly wasn't going to start now. Adjusting her position, the fiery headed woman moved so that she was nestled between his legs, running her hands down the inside of his thighs as she worked more of him into the warm cavern of her mouth. Her jaw muscles tightened when she could fit no more and she moved one hand to the base, sliding it up and down in a smooth motion. Mordecai let out another moan, this time ecstasy lacing his vocal approval as she slid up and down, her own moaning vibrating into the sensitive part of his body. His body quivered in time with her movements, and Lilith could feel the fingers in her hair pulling, gripping to the point she thought he might rip it from her head. Smiling, an action that brought her lips to the tip of his penis, she dragged her wet tongue from the base all the way up, as if she was licking an ice cream pop, savoring each careful motion. She could feel him twitch and wondered how much longer she had before he came.

Then very suddenly she was being pushed off. Obscenities fell from her mouth when she practically fell back on her bare behind, barely managing to catch herself when she was pulled up rather abruptly and slammed against the nearest wall. She didn't have time to see anything or process when she felt Mordecai's bare skinned chest against her sweat slicked back. Her first thought was to figure out when he'd lost so much of his clothes but the thought never formulated all the way when his penis, slick with her saliva and his pre-cum, slid all the way into her sex without any warning. The hunter let out a deep groan at how slick her walls were, at how tightly they squeezed his pulsating shaft. His hands, which had been placed flat against the wall, joined hers to steady himself. Lilith gasped, her cheek lying on the wall, her breath coming in puffs as neither party moved, the surprise catching both of them. He filled all of her, and she could feel him buried to the hilt inside of her, a feeling she was grappling with as she tried to move, even an inch. It caused her knees to buckle and one of his hands to land on her hip to hold her in place. He let out a hiss through his teeth, his warm, ale tinged breath causing her insides to shiver—Lilith let her eyes close at this gesture. His head suddenly fell to her shoulder, his forehead dampened by their combined sweat.

"Lilith…"

She felt desire burn within her. Mordecai had never really used her name before, always calling her little girl or other names. The fact that he had murmured it into her shoulder set her blood ablaze, the phoenix within her rising. She almost wished he could see the color of her flushed skin so she wouldn't have to answer him; instead, she let her head fall back in response to his unspoken question hanging in the air between them with so much weight, she wasn't sure she could resist anymore. Taking her cue, Mordecai slipped almost completely out of her warm entrance before slamming back into her, causing a strangled cry of rapture to erupt from her cerise painted lips. She let out a breathy, shaky sigh as the hand on her hip tightened, his grip like iron as she began a slow rhythmic thrusting into her sensuous heat. She had no shame at this point, one of her hands moving to caress herself while he set the pace, trying desperately to pull him deeper inside of her. She couldn't get enough, the other hand that was supporting her against the wall making its way to grip his behind, pulling as much of him flush against her as she could. At this Mordecai moved the hand that was on her hip to her breasts, roughly pinching her hardened nipples until she arched into the wall, her bottom pushing against his groin even further, causing him to hit her cervix. Lilith's breath puffed out so hard, so quickly that she thought she might not be able to breathe; her hand joined his on her breast, squeezing her sensitive flesh with reckless abandon.

As the speed of Mordecai's thrusts increased Lilith found her legs becoming wobbly, standing becoming something too hard to do. She tried to get out any kind of speech possible but it was proving difficult.

"Mo-morde…cai…"

He seemed all too busy to realize she was speaking, his lips suckling comfortably on the valley between her shoulder and neck. She wasn't sure how much longer they could remain in this position, her legs protesting irritably as he continued to suck the sensitive skin of her shoulder, driving her to further incoherency when he began nipping the flesh between his teeth in time with his rough thrusts. If Lilith could see another land, this was the time. Again, she tried to voice her haphazard thoughts.

"Morde…cai…" she managed though breathlessly. "This…fuck…position is…"

She stammered a little, another moan leaving her mouth when his lips finally relented their claim on her shoulder. Taking advantage of his pause she pushed him back with moments to spare, practically twirling around until they were face to face, her body naturally gravitating towards his. Lilith didn't waste any time reaching out to him as his hand snaked around her waist, joining their bodies again. This time when her lithe, sinewy but feminine body arched into him, her breasts rose up to meet his eager mouth while his hands lifted her of the ground. She immediately wrapped her long legs around his thin waist as his hands came up to cradle her bottom, lifting her up and down along the pulsating length of his member. The feeling was intense and Lilith had to grab him in order to stay upright, the new angle causing him to push so far into her she felt a small stabbing sensation that dulled after a few seconds, leaving a desirable feeling in its wake. A few minutes later found her head resting on his shoulder as her arms grasped his back so she wouldn't fall. The hunter let out a grunt at the loss of her breast in his mouth. But she gave him no time to ponder her reasons, her tongue snaking back into his mouth, fighting for dominance of their kiss; a battle of power.

Her hair was dampened with sweat, the heat never changing despite the sun having set and sandy winds now blowing across the deserted city of New Haven. Most people had long gone inside or were at bars reaping debauchery. None of it mattered to her, none of it except the room that smelled of sex; of the feel of Mordecai buried deeply within her; of the pounding of her heart; of the blood rushing to her face; of his roughened hands clasping her, running up and down her severely sensitized skin. She felt herself trembling and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, biting it until she thought she tasted blood at the feel of him slowing his movements again, pulling out only to thrust into her so hard, so quick, so suddenly that a shriek escaped her blood tinted lips without abandon. Mordecai's response was guttural, animalistic and possessive, fueled with lust and undiluted sexual drive—it made the flush of her cheeks brighten until she was completely incoherent, digging her nails into the tanned skin of his back and shoulders. Rivulets of blood made small, inconsistent trails down his back and the Siren couldn't resist how morbidly right it looked on him, her hooded golden eyelids struggling to stay open.

Then he paused, his motions coming to an abrupt halt that shattered Lilith's swimming vision; her tense muscles ached in response, disappointed by the lack of friction. Whimpering, she undulated against him but he held her fast, his grip restricting her movements, which caused her to raise a delicate red brow in question. As if to answer her unspoken question, the Hunter turned them, quickly lowering them to the ground with himself atop her. Lilith groaned in discomfort when her bare back hit the hot concrete for the second time; it burned a bit. However there was no time to ponder or whine regarding this because Mordecai's stiffened penis was sliding back into her slick folds, the sound bringing her ringing ears a strange erotic pleasure she wasn't accustomed to. As if this wasn't enough of a surprise, her eyes widened in shock when she felt his hand grabbing her thigh, hand gliding down until it stopped above her calf and lifted her entire leg in the air. The new position made Lilith mewl as the hunter thrust into her again experimentally, as if to test the amount of pleasure she received. The Siren no longer cared where they were, or about her pride, her small hands grabbing onto his shoulder, nails digging into his skin again, not caring who heard her.

"Harder…fuck me harder you skinny son of a bitch," she ground out through clenched teeth.

He was only too happy to oblige, the smirk on his face so pronounced that it was somewhat fearful; it was the same smirk he had when shooting bandits. Lilith didn't care. She happily welcomed the harder, faster thrusts, pushing herself to meet him as their pace quickened and she could feel her impending orgasm getting closer and closer. The hands on his shoulders moved to her own breasts, caressing herself for a minute before moving one between them, ghosting her fingers over his shaft that moved in and out of her. She was getting closer, her moans getting louder, his grunts increasing in volume and pace so quick she thought the entire world was shaking when he leaned over, his voice in her ear somewhat unintelligible to her desire addled mind.

"Scream my name, Lil...scream it or I won't let you come," he whispered, phrase coming out in pants.

Part of her was enraged that he would be so cruel and another was annoyed, for a mere millisecond, that he would request such a thing from her. Her golden eyes met his blue pair, fiery and insulted despite the fact that his penis was still lodged deeply inside of her. The protest in her face told him there would be hell to pay for such a demand if she did go through with it but she did not voice it. He understood what she meant but let out a low chuckle, repeating his statement.

"Either you scream my name, or I stop right now."

She blanched, cheeks flushed even though he couldn't really tell. "You fucker…you wouldn't. You couldn't."

He started to pull out just to prove her right when she clenched her vaginal muscles, trapping him, creating a snug sheath that could only feel that much better. Mordecai hissed in reply, exhaling a shaky breath to signal that indeed he couldn't stop even if he really wanted; which he didn't. Seeing that she had the upper hand, she locked her other leg around his waist and used all her willpower to drag him back into her welcoming heat, smiling coyly when he let out a small, lustful, agonized groan of defeat. She draped her arms over his shoulders, trailing her fingers laced with both their fluids, through his thick locks, even going so far as to drag one wet finger down the side of his cheek, unintentionally smoothing the length of a jagged scar on his face.

"Tell me…Mordy…do you really want to stop fucking this hot piece of ass? You've been wanting to for so long, haven't you?" Lilith teased in a sensual voice, nipping at his exposed wrists as she gyrated against his stiff body. "Come on, old man…you don't have it in you."

Her comment snapped him back to the present when he glared down at her. "Little girl…I'm going to fuck you so hard your pretty little ass will be sore for weeks."

A smirk graced her lips. "Prove it."

She didn't have a chance to mock him any further when he slammed back into her so hard she yelped, feeling the tingling sensations travel through her entire body, reverberating down to her toes. She flexed, letting out a shaky breath to keep her mind present as Mordecai continued driving himself into her without any warning. His pace did not slow and Lilith could feel herself coming unhinged, her mind becoming foggy with lust, transfixed on the titillating feeling of him being so deep inside of her, filling her. She was so close, and she knew he was too.

It happened so fast, surrounded by such opaque clarity, that the Siren didn't comprehend what was happening until his name fell, unbridled, from her lips and her nails dug into his forearms. He clenched his teeth as the action pushed him over the edge too, his body suddenly seizing in time with hers. There was nothing stopping her, no one to hear it other than the two of them in the darkened room where his eyes glowed like the sky, and hers like twin fires. Lilith felt her heart beat slowly start to return to normal, the aches and pains not quite settling in yet, very much like the reality that they had ended up having sex on the dirty, dust laden concrete ground, which was now slippery in certain spots from all the sweat and fluids. Mordecai had yet to move from his position atop her, his hand still clutching one of her legs up in the air though she had bent it at some point; her other leg was still curled around his waist. The hunter seemed frozen in his position, trying to regain control of his breath as the sweat beaded at his forehead began to drip distractedly onto her smooth abdomen. It slid gracefully down the side of her perspiring skin until it landed on the floor. At this Mordecai brought his eyes to hers, the pair meeting for a moment before Lilith felt the blush rising to her cheeks even though she knew he couldn't decipher the color. She wasn't sure what to say now that they had completed the game—there were no feelings of deep seeded love; it was just sex. But she still mourned the loss of such delicious contact when he slid out of her and fell on his back beside her, the heated surface making him hiss for a moment.

"Fuck…" one of his hands came to rest of her thigh, fingers dipping in between them, while his other went behind his head as a pillow of sorts.

She nodded though he could not see, one hand resting on her stomach, the other on her breast. "No kidding."

It was quiet for a few more minutes when Mordecai turned to her, the scars on his face prominent though they didn't bother her in the least. When he didn't say anything she let out a sigh and finally turned her head to look up at him. He had raised himself up on one elbow though the hand resting on her thigh remained tracing lazy circle patterns there. It was odd that he would do such a thing, let alone strange that he would stay so close. Lilith was sure he had been sleeping with Moxxi before, or had; he never stayed long enough to even see the mistress of madness wake up. Never one for feelings, she continued to stare at him, waiting for his reaction. Their games had come to an end and there wasn't anything left to play for, she was sure of it. The disappointment this notion left in its wake irked her. The thought of gentle caresses had never crossed her mind and Lilith did not intend to focus on it, despite the fact that even Siren's had feelings and emotions. She tensed when the hand on her thigh moved towards her face to push a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear, Mordecai's smile widening into a somewhat lecherous but playful smirk.

"So."

The word carried a question that she could only answer with a smile. "Next time…I'm on top."

* * *

_(BLAH, it wasn't my greatest but I enjoyed writing it. Woo. There will probably be a sequel sometime in the future. Don't know when. We will see. Anyway, off to my other fics. Think my writer's block has passed now thanks to PWP. Squee! Laters and Thanks!)_

_~sadistickunais_


	2. Part 2

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will Borderlands, and this is NOT for profit. All this belongs to the rightful owners: 2K, Gearbox games, whatever else…can't remember all their names but you get the drift. I own NOTHING.

A/N: So here's part 2 of this mini-series that will lead up to BL2, which is already out but WHATEVS! It's REALLY SHORT, by the way. Anyway, this is dealing with Lilith and Mordecai's emotions following part1, and of course, before part 3 which will conclude the series. The timeline is just a TAD bit screwy, goes something like this: Part 1 is supposed to be pre Borderlands 1 but it ended up being somewhere in the middle of it—hence the fooling around. Part 2, this part, is supposed to be after but between BL1 & BL2. Part 3 will be right before BL2, and set the actual 5 years up until the new Vault Hunters come. Does that make sense-ish? Let me know. Also, I know there was some hopes that I would do more with them, given Mordecai didn't just walk off and leave her after they shagged in the hot Pandoran Heat ^.~; but this story doesn't necessarily have much to do with that. Such dealings will expand in the 3rd part. Thanks!

A Special thanks to my 1st reviewer:

MonsterJunkie YOU ROCK, thanks for being my first reviewer! The next part will be dedicated to you! Now go

play Borderlands 2!

Guest: Whoever you are, thanks for my 2nd review! Rock on!

* * *

**Interlude of Time**

It had been a good amount of years since that occurrence, many games having been played, many intimate encounters having happened, too. There had also been numerous spats, accusations and eventually many "break ups" if that's what they could be called. Lilith had never actually had a real relationship, her sexual rendezvous with Mordecai being the only thing coming close until he started fucking Moxxi again because Lilith was too busy searching for her sister Sirens. In her mind's eyes, though she was by no means a misandrist, Lilith found herself believing that all men were backstabbing whores who moved on quickly when things didn't go how they wanted. She assumed that Roland had ceased his relationship—or whatever it was—with Moxxi if Mordecai was sleeping with her again. While she had no proof, and would make no move to obtain such, she was sure this is where the hunter had disappeared to. It had been a few years and they were past finding the Vault; Tannis had paid them and they sought out new things to do. Roland had agreed to go with Brick to find his sister and Lilith had, once again, decided to search for the remaining Sirens. They had already lost 1 of the 6, Commandant Steele having been skewered by the horrendous Destroyer once they'd opened the Vault. That meant there were 4 left including her.

Sighing, Lilith brought the oil slicked rag back to her submachine gun, distractedly trying to clean it while gazing out on the wasteland that was Pandora. The dust ball planet never ceased to amaze her, especially given how many bandit colonies there seemed to be even with their endless hunting and destruction. This happened to be Mordecai's specialty and she figured he was out doing such work right at that moment. Her gaze traveled through the scrap metal buildings of their abode. Roland and Brick's areas hadn't been touched for several months, which is how long they'd been gone from New Haven. Irritation welled within her as she felt her leg start to cramp from its bent position and she carefully straightened it out, lifting it to rest on the vacant chair in front of her. The wind that blew by was hot, humid and sandy; her stomach growled. '_Guess I'm hungry,_' she mused, her eyes still trained in the distance where she knew the older man would soon be returning from. Sure enough his silhouette appeared in the distance, almost looking like a mirage in the heat of the midday. Shaking her head, Lilith let out another sigh, this one in preparation for the game they played every day since he'd said those harsh words to her in the darkness of their quest through Old Haven.

Placing the gun gently down on the seat her leg had previously occupied, the Siren stood, stretching the length of her body towards the sky, trying to work out the aches she'd acquired while sitting for too long. She could see that he was getting closer and her mind went into autopilot. She could see Bloodwing perched on his shoulder and rolled her eyes; that bird seemed to know everything. Rolling her shoulders one more time, the red haired woman placed a hand on her hip and raised a brow.

"So what was the bounty this time?"

Mordecai dropped the bag of money on the floor between them. "Money for taking out a bandit camp near Old Haven. Tannis gave us a decent amount. No guns."

He didn't bother to ask what she'd been up to and Lilith didn't volunteer the information of what she had been doing. Instead she picked up her machine gun, put it in its holster and pointed towards the bar, the memory of Old Haven fresh and her mood souring as a result. "Food, now. I'm starved. And apparently, so are you, thin man."

He didn't reply, rolling his eyes behind the mask that encased his head. His hair had grown out more and so had Lilith's, though she styled it much differently now. He would've laughed except then her façade might crack and he didn't want to risk another one of what he deemed a silent tantrum. With Roland and Brick gone they were the only two inhabitants still in the shack they called home, with most nights being spent in the quiet, solitary confinement of their own beds. Lilith had yet to make more than small talk with him, even when on dangerous missions or when taking out particularly malevolent bounties. He wasn't worried about her in the least since she could hold her own and had many times in the past; but their lack of communication made it difficult to work as a team. Not that he enjoyed working as a team. He almost snorted out loud while they walked, thinking back to that conversation in Old Haven, remembering the darkened sky and how she had looked in the moonlight, her skin pale and lighted in shades of gray. Shaking the memory he followed the sway of her hips into the nearest bar where various other bounty hunters sat around with their own loot and tired, bedraggled expressions. He ignored the usual turn of heads that followed Lilith. Being one of the only existing women on Pandora, not to mention her other assets, made her a prime spectacle to observe and drool over. She never seemed to care, he noted.

Lilith felt disgusted by all the stares, the dirt bags of Pandora eyeing her like fresh meat, something they wanted to sink their teeth into, something that would never happen. On Dionysus she had plenty of lovers, plenty of cheap fucks, plenty of anything she wanted. But on Pandora she declined from entertaining such filthy and disease infested patrons, especially in New Haven's bar. She quickly sat down on the nearest bar stool, signaling to the bartender that she wanted two beers and two shots. At first she could see that Mordecai thought she'd ordered one for him but when they were placed in front of her she started chugging one and put the other out of his reach. Indignant, the hunter ordered himself one as Bloodwing remained perched ever so watchfully on his shoulder, the bird too eyeing the lecherous patrons within the bar. As used to she was by the looks—it happened every time they went somewhere, without fail—she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that made her skin crawl. Mordecai didn't seem to care and she rolled her eyes, knowing he didn't though he would've shot anyone who tried to approach them. Though they were Vault Hunters and well renowned around New Haven, it didn't stop newcomers, or perverted assholes who wanted to bed her, from making a scene. It happened quite often.

With a heavy sigh, Lilith leaned on her hand in boredom, observing the random bottles of liquor behind the bar. The memories of the past few years flooded back into her alcohol hazed mind, the scent of Mordecai's breath not helping. The Rakk Ale—the only thing he seemed to drink—was wafting off of him in the heat and not helping her forget everything that had transpired between them. Irritated, she looked away, purposely ignoring him and staring at a man a few feet away from her. She wasn't the least bit interested him but she was tired of thinking about the hunter when he, obviously, wasn't thinking of her. The resident of New Haven leered at her with a lecherous grin on his featured, a beer in his hand and nodding towards the bar's exit. Lilith paused, contemplating whether acknowledging his offer was wise or if she cared anymore. Deciding it was a bad idea and that she didn't care anymore either, she chugged back the other beer, took the two shots and stood up to leave. Immediately the Hunter noticed and turned his head ever so slightly in her direction.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Prostituting myself, you ass—some of us have fucking needs. Do you have a problem with that?" She glared at him, waiting for a reaction but not really caring at the same time.

Without showing any sign that he did or didn't, Mordecai turned back to his beer. "I'll leave your share of the bounty on your bed."

Enraged, Lilith nodded tightly though he couldn't see. "Later," she replied through gritted teeth, the urge to drown her sorrows in the patron's useless body now dissolving.

Whirling away she practically stomped out of the bar, shoving past the patron who looked surprised but followed after her. She didn't even pay attention to the man following behind her, not concerned in the least about what he might try to do to her. Clearly he didn't know she was a Siren, a Vault Hunter, and a severely pissed off woman. _'What an idiot,'_ she mused, making her way through the dust filled pathways of New Haven towards Scooter's. She just needed to clear her head and running over dumb bandits would help, she figured. She was halfway to Scooter's when the guy grabbed her arm from behind, barely managing to stop her in her tracks. Aggravated, Lilith turned to him, yanking her hand away even though the man towered over her by a good two foot. She couldn't care less, flipping him off and giving him a piece of her mind.

"What the fuck do you want asshole? Can't you see I'm in a hurry?"

He leered at her again, his hand traveling to rest on his gun, which was holstered to his hip. Lilith masked her insulted expression with nonchalance. "Hey, now is that any way to be talking to the man you just invited to fuck you?" She blinked, and his smirk widened. "Yeah, bitch, you heard me. You're the one giving me those looks like you wanted me to fuck your brains out; and I'm gonna do just that."

"You're not man enough," she replied darkly, not moving an inch. "No one is, you dickhead."

Anger flared in his eyes at her comment and he stepped forward, his massive hand raised in the air before she could comprehend it. She was knocked back with such force it stunned her just for a second, the blow of his palm on her cheek only serving to anger her further. She hated men who had power and control issues but had to hit a woman to show they were powerful. She heard him chuckle as the burn in her cheek pulsated and she knew her cheek would be swollen. Annoyed, she cracked her knuckles and stood slowly, electricity jumping wildly about her much to the man's sudden dismay. Before he could even move she had grabbed him, her nails digging into his skin, and unleashed a level 3 blast of electric energy right into his body, successfully electrocuting him. She smiled in satisfaction as his form twitched on the floor, her foot nudging him slightly.

"Poor bastard."

The surprise in her eyes was unavoidable, her lips tightening in a frown as she heard Bloodwing's caw of approval and the hunter kicking the jerk with his boot. She didn't want him to see her like this, with a swollen face and blood dripping at the corner of her mouth. Quickly wiping it away, Lilith began to walk towards Scooter's again, trying to ignoring the footsteps of the Hunter behind her. They were almost to the mechanics' area when he spun her around, clutching her wrist and hand moving to her cheek. Lilith flinched against her own will, the dulled pain flaring up when his gloved fingers lightly touched it.

"What the…fuckin bastard, I'll kill him."

She shrugged him off. "No need. He won't be bothering me anymore. Chill out, stick boy." She began to walk off when Mordecai stopped her again. "What the fuck gives Mordy?"

"No one should hit a lady."

She chuckled bitterly. "Don't worry, Mordy, there are no ladies in New Haven."

With that she walked to Scooter's and caught a ride in the tank, zooming off into the hazy setting sun before he could get a word in edgewise. Her mind was on autopilot, watching with disinterest at the setting sun, the stars that were trying to shine through the filmy sky that housed Pandora. It was a place for useless dreaming, where dreams didn't come true even if you fought for them with blood and artillery. Sighing, she settled for the mindless drone of the engine as she drove towards the transport station. Along the way she decided shooting things in Fyrestone would be a better activity, using her physical abilities to blow off steam that hand long since pent up. If she had any tears to shed it would have been a good time but instead, she hopped off the vehicle and walked towards the nearest bandit camp in view. One of the bandits noticed her right away but did not shoot right away, putting his gun to his side and whistling at her from the distance. Her approach called out several more bandits but she didn't waver at all, continued, with an exaggerated sensual gait, towards them until she was in the middle of 5 of them, a smirk on her face.

"Aren't you a nice piece of ass, bitch," the main bandit said, blood crusted hand reaching out and catching her chin. Lilith played along, not giving anything away. The bandit got closer until his nose was practically in her red hair, breathing in the scent of burnt earth. "You lost girlie?"

"Not anymore, scumbag," she whispered in his ear. "You're just what I was looking for, bandit moron."

He tried to backpedal when he realized she was no ordinary female citizen; but failed. Quickly activating her phasewalk, a flaming shockwave burst around her, frying the 5 bandits that surrounded her. Several more ran out of their tents and began firing but it was wild shooting, not knowing where she was since her phasewalk was still active. Chuckling invisibly into the air, she ran towards the nearest bandit and snapped his neck before he could shoot his next round of bullets. Another chuckle escaped her throat as she made her way to the next bandit. And all of a sudden phasewalk deactivated and a strange burning sensation coursed through her back, paralyzing her for a moment. In that second a bandit jumped her, knocking her onto her stomach on the dirty, bloody ground, his pistol pointed at her head. Yet she didn't care, only the intense pain tingling up her spine grabbing her attention as it immobilized her_. 'What the fuck is going on?'_ she thought, curling into herself as agony traveled its way down, feeling like a fire she'd never experienced before discovering she had become a Siren. Meanwhile, the bandit had called the rest of his group over and they were observing her stupidly as she writhed this way and that, moans of pain emitting from her lips all the while.

"She's mine," the bandit atop her said to the rest. He leaned down until his lips were by her ear. "Hear that girlie? I'm gonna play with you all night. Then I'm gonna skin you for my trophy room, bitch."

She coughed as the pain continued to climb, intensify. "Your breath smells like ass. No wonder you haven't been laid, jerk off."

He pointed his gun at her, about to shoot, when she heard the whiz of a bullet, the shattering of his skull then felt blood splattering her face. She would've moved if not for the ever present pain still shooting up and down her spine. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. Gritting her teeth the Siren forced herself into motion, the caw of Mordecai's pet entering her ears as it decimated the remaining bandits along with his master's rifle shots. Clutching her abdomen, Lilith made her way to the Runner where the hunter was perched in the gunner's seat. For a moment, she wondered how long he had been sitting there, watching her little game with the dredge of Pandora, wondering why he hadn't intervened, wondering why she gave a rat's ass. Wincing as the pain continued she climbed into the Runner just as Bloodwing returned and Mordecai shouldered his rifle, giving her a pointed stare. She promptly flipped him off, took reign of the wheel and began driving despite the stabbing sensation in her spin. It was a quiet ride back to New Haven with Mordecai not saying one word to her the whole time, silent to the end; until they were inside and she was lying on her bed.

"What the fuck happened out there?"

Biting her tongue, Lilith pretended to be asleep. It was silent for a few more moments then she heard him turn over, giving up easily. Thankful, for once, that there would be no interest in her and what occurred, she drifted off into sleep.

_It was dark, the dingy scent tasting like acid to her taste buds. Mordecai waved for her to move forward after scoping the corners of the acrid looking safe house. They had been sent to Old Haven by Tannis but Lilith wanted nothing more than to strangle the uptight, arrogant bitch to high hell. Nevertheless they had gone, something about bounty luring Roland in easily, and better weaponry luring Mordecai in; Brick was easy. If there were bandits to slay then the massive berserker was game all day, every day. Sighing in irritation, she brought her submachine up, peaking through the scope to see if there were any remaining bandits. Both Mordecai and Lilith snapped to attention at the maniacal scream that echoed throughout the scrap metal building, ready to strike when it stopped abruptly and they heard Brick's insane laughter. Relaxing her shoulders, Lilith felt a smirk place her lips at the thought of the bigger man snapping the bandit in two. She lowered her gun and shot a glance at the hunter, who was staring at her indifferently._

"_What is it, assbag?"She quipped, the banter their normal conversation starter. When he didn't say anything, Lilith tried to entice him. "If you answer, I'll make it worth your while."_

"_No. I'm done, little girl."_

_Shock made her fingers tremble, his meaning not lost on her. Forcing a smile, Lilith nodded. "Got it, old man. I knew I was too much for your rickety bones to handle. Wouldn't want to break you before we find The Vault."_

_They cleaned out the remaining rooms quickly, Lilith letting out whatever aggression had arisen from their short, curt conversation. Mordecai didn't seem to notice and she was glad of it. She couldn't believe she'd just been dumped; then again, they hadn't officially said anything—it was just sex. Pushing back the scream that she felt wanted to spill forth, she shot the last bandit square in the head, not bothering to clean the brain matter that splattered all over her breasts or neck. Her heated skin felt cold to her, the manner in which he'd referred to their interludes a stab to whatever semblance of a heart she still had. Clutching her share of the loot, Lilith made her way out of the building, waiting for the team. Mordecai was the first to emerge. It was night outside, painting his world in grays and silvers, painting her in a mixture of bright whites and gray. She seemed subdued. Neither of them wanted things to be weird, and being the older person, he decided it needed to be etched in stone before they continued onwards with their journey. Neither of them liked loose ends. He turned to her._

"_Like nothing ever happened?"_

"_Nothing did happen."_

"_We're good, then." He stated, raising his rifle._

"_We were never good, Mordy." She shot him a withering look, the smile on her lips malicious._

Lilith woke with a start, sweating profusely and feeling a lot hotter than normal; the room glowed. '_What the fuck…'_ she cursed in anguish, a splitting headache causing her to rub her temple. She hadn't dreamt about that memory in quite some time but the wound had been reopened today, something about Mordecai had reminded her. Feeling sick to her stomach, Lilith rolled over, eyes settling on the sleeping Hunter. She didn't know if she cared whether or not he had noticed what had happened but a bigger part of her didn't care about that so much right now. Her back felt normal again but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Sure, her Siren power were still a mystery to her and while she had learned quite a bit about them along their journey to find the Vault, she still had yet to figure out what power was specially hers. Every Siren had a special ability. She figured Commandant Steele's was an ice-like power seeing as to how the woman was practically an albino save for her pale eyes; otherwise, she gave off the vibe of being a heartless, icy bitch. Lilith's flaming red hair and Phoenix ability had made her think that her special power was fire; but other than the ephemeral, translucent orange angel-like wings that manifested when she made a successful kill, she wasn't sure what would come of it all. It was clear that the ice-like powers of Steele had begun to manifest themselves on her person, and the ability no longer waned but was almost ever present, at her beck and call.

Frustrated, she went back to staring at the wall, wondering far into the morning hours if she had really learned anything about her abilities after all. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon's and Lilith's golden eyes felt dry, tired, defeated. These were feelings that she would not show anyone; they did not belong on Pandora. They did not belong to a mighty, seductive Siren. Her kind was powerful, cunning, deceptive, beautiful, sexy and deadly. She pressed herself to encompass those ideals every day though most were natural. Her crass attitude helped achieve the allure along with the prestige of being unattainable yet undeniable rough and dangerous; a cold blooded killer. _'But I'm still a woman, damn it,' _she thought bitterly, watching as the sun rose to its height in the sky, alerting her that the hunter would soon rouse from his sleep, if he'd been sleeping at all. She heard Bloodwing moving around, and felt the bird's eyes on her. _'Probably hungry,' _she mused, rising from her bed since she had already been awake for a few hours, and grabbed the nearest pouch of dried, toughened Skag meat. She quickly fed the bird some of the jerky-like substance, eventually just giving him all of it, not caring if Mordecai was upset that she was fattening his bird. Bloodwing cawed his thanks at her. Narrowing her eyes at his still form the Siren made her way to the exit, knowing full well that he was awake, probably seething at what she done. She didn't bother to wait for a scolding or disgusted look from him, her nerves already shot from her dream the night before, golden eyes tired, hands itching to punch someone, head pounding something horrible.

Outside in the early morning heat she plopped down on the nearest chair, raising her hands before, watching idly as the electricity jumped wildly two and fro from fingertip to fingertip. It was clear to her that Siren's posses various elemental abilities but it appeared that whatever was their specialty changed them into something else, some creature. And by the tingling in her back and the opaque fiery wings that materialized during battle she had a pretty good idea why the two were connected. Sighing, she continued to watch her fingertips, suddenly wishing she had found one of her sisters. Being a woman was difficult enough on the dust ball planet but being a Siren made it that much worse. Sirens possessed an unspeakable, incomparable and unique beauty that came from being fashioned similar to the Sirens of legend, with beautiful voices that lured in hopelessly lost sailors on the seas. Lilith, one of the very few left, knew that this drew attention to her, got her into trouble, caused there to be a bounty on her head. The fact that she wasn't a typical Siren—in legend they were quite ugly—made it even more of an affair, her golden eyes, fiery red hair, and almost perfect sinewy but womanly figure making her the center of attention, both wanted and mostly, unwanted. She needed someone who understood this, who was okay with it and didn't want to use her.

'_I should've fried him when I had the chance, fuckin asswipe,'_ she simmered bitterly, her mind focused on Mordecai. She could hear him moving around now, grumbling irritably about how she had fed his precious bird. Crossing her arms over her chest, she felt her lips form a frown when she heard his footsteps approaching her from within the shack they called home. All she wanted to do was leave now, just as he had left her. Yet the irksome realization that something was not right within herself made her a little hesitant to do so, though she'd die before she admitted that to his toothpick ass. She considered it a great weakness that she still thought about him at all, what he had done rising to the top of her 'dislike' list—his actions held the number one spot. He was actually right under that, too. Now she was beginning to think that it had to do with her age, the 12 year difference possibly a sore spot for him though even if she didn't care about it in the least. It had been far more noticeable when they were younger. Now they were full-fledged adults and she didn't see why it would be a problem. Brick and Roland could care less. Roland had been shagging Moxxi, and Guardian Angel above only knew how old she was, having had two kids, both named Scooter. Bristling when she felt his presence behind her, Lilith continued to scowl, completely ignoring him until his grunted at her.

"How long you gonna watch that dirt, little girl?"

"For as long as it takes you to figure out that I'm not interested in talking right now, old man," she snapped, crossing her ankles while she kept staring ahead. It ticked her off, too, that shortly after they agreed to call off the interludes that he went back to calling her little girl; it was if they had never been so intimate. Then again, she figured with Sirens having the reputation they did and her history, it made sense that might not be considered intimacy. Feeling cranky, she tried her best to pretend like he had left though he hadn't. "Go the hell away, jerk off."

He let out an annoyed grunt but walked past her, calling to Bloodwing as he passed. He could still feel her aggravation coming off in waves behind him but did nothing, making his way towards Tannis' in hopes to get more bounty assignments. If he was going to set his plans into motion then he was going to need all the money he could get his hands on. Lilith watched him disappear in the distance, her jaw set and rigid, knowing that her next move would go unnoticed and therefore not caring anymore. Once he was completely out of view she stood up, made her way back to her bed and glanced around. She didn't own much. None of them did. Grabbing her pistols, clothing, any gear she could scrounge, and whatever money she'd need, she made her way to Scooter, ignoring him as he whistled away by his station. The Runner was waiting for her moments later, where she climbed in and took one last look at the pitiful sight of New Haven. She had no idea where she was going but being as far away as possible from Saint Mordecai seemed like a prime idea, the discovery of something growing within her telling her that this chapter of her life was over, closed, finished. She needed to find her sisters, any other Siren out there. She needed to remember the primary reason she came to Pandora. Biting back any emotions she had attached to New Haven, to the man that meant more to her than she wanted, she swallowed her feelings, pride back in place as she gunned the gas pedal and took off.

'_No more, foolish little girl. There's nothing left, no one left.'_

Later that evening when Mordecai returned he was stunned to find the place quiet, dark. It called for further inspection. He removed his revolver from its holster and slowly crept towards the door, Bloodwing at the ready for whatever intruders might be inside. His heart hammered, knowing full well that Lilith wasn't inside but not sure what could've happened, at first. There were no signs of struggle or invasion, just a cold, empty room. Her bed was unmade but her belongings were missing and he immediately made the connection, his hand falling to his side in disbelief. _'She left.'_ It wasn't a question but a statement, one he didn't believe, one that angered him, one that left the sour taste of bitterness on his tongue. She had left no indication of where she'd run off to, no sign of coming whether she'd be returning either. Gritting his teeth, he tried to ignore Bloodwing's cries, the bird having sensed something out of place, something wrong with his Master. His nerves fluctuated, anger coursing through him coupled with the same spiteful disbelief that would not fade. He finally took a seat on his own bed, staring at hers long into the night with Bloodwing perched uncharacteristically where she laid her head, uncertainty and animosity taking him for the first time in a long time. He had a good idea why she left but he couldn't admit that it actually bothered him.

'_The fuck…Saint Mordecai…' _His lips set in a peeved frown at her obvious immaturity, he found himself feeling tired. She had bathed his world in the palest shades of color that the world could offer a colorblind man, brightening everything with the mere glance of her golden eyes. He couldn't imagine what gold looked like but many people had told him her eyes were captivating, beautiful. Her skin, almost white to his view, had been flawless, the only distinguishing factor being the blue tattoo, which looked like a varying shade of light gray. He had finally found beauty in his colorless world, the first time they'd connected, the first time he'd seen the flush of her cheeks; the rise of her bosom; the darkness of her hair; the paleness of her eyes. He had finally been allowed to feel something more than the heat of battle, than the comfort of his rifle, than the satisfaction of being so disconnected and cold in a world full of death. She had been the Angel of Death and the Angel of Life, a two sided, multi-faceted puzzle that made the days of traveling more interesting. Her sadism and love for battle, her drive to find the Vault, her tough exterior and femininity made her all the things that he would never care about. Lilith had taken his scars, taken his darkness, takes his psychosis, taken it all without a care. And she had taken it away just as quickly as she'd given it.

And her words echoed in his steadily darkening world, her sadistic laughter surrounding him, his ears ringing within his hunter's mask as his heart became cold, his fingers hardened, and eyes colorless once again.

"_We never were good, Mordy."_

* * *

_(Done with part 2, which, mind you, was hard to do even though it was short because I don't have enough back story; plus I was BL2 OBSESSED last night-it was BAAAAAAAAD. I do want to say that I am sorry if Mordecai seems a little out of character but seriously..he's gotta have SOME feelings regarding Lilith if we all want them to shag wildly again in the next chapter AND be happy. But still...he's kind of a hard ass and they're both stubborn and I could go on forever, so bear with me if he seems disconnected. Plus, Lilith is, I feel, entitled to emotion since her dislikes states she didn't like getting dumped by a vault hunter; she may be a callous buttface but she has emotions too! Whether she and Mordy show them or not is a whole other issue. Anywho...this is just an interlude-there will be a part 3 and it will be a lot longer, and it will be happy, promise! Love you all, until next time!)_

_~sadistickunais_


	3. Part 3

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will Borderlands, and this is NOT for profit. All this belongs to the rightful owners: 2K, Gearbox games, whatever else…can't remember all their names but you get the drift. I own NOTHING. Cause If I did…lemme tell you how it would have turned out…hehe._

A/N: And of course Gearbox made the story all…not to my liking, lol. Roland and Lilith – NO! Hahaha, but anyway…Mordecai/Lilith FTW! Yes, I know the backstory and Lilith's dislikes, etc. It doesn't say WHY they broke up so I'm going with that non-existent premise here in this story. Roland/Lilith may be canon but hey, that's why this is fanfiction right? Part 3 is set before BL2. Part 4 to come!

FYI: EVERY reference to the term "asshat" is property, or the idea of, Blitz Chick, who wrote "In Your Eyes" for the BL archive. I loved the term for Mordecai and couldn't resist. All credit for that nickname goes to her because that's where I saw it.

* * *

**Threading of Fate**

Her golden eyes were closed tightly, blocking any bit of light that might try to enter her abode. She had taken to hiding in dark places, dwelling in less than desirable areas so as to avoid attention. The initial transition had been agonizing, and it had been years since she'd felt such sensations in her body, which she had become well attuned with over the last couple years. Rolling her shoulders back the Siren acknowledged the chills that traveled down her back. Her bright, orange Phoenix wings flexed in the partially lit cavern, stretching to their full expanse. Following that fateful day she wasn't sure if she'd ever run into anyone she knew, least of all her old companions. But fate would have it that she see them and that they'd fight together once again. A smile lighted her ruby colored lips as she phased a hunk of Eridium into herself, remembering the night she had run into Roland and that had begun. The two of them found solace in each other over some form of loss. While Lilith had considered him her boyfriend and vise-versa, those things didn't matter anymore because it had ended with her not quite ready to let go yet. She'd spent time contemplating her lovers often though inside of her home no one would hear her wayward thoughts.

Lilith admitted that Roland had a great physique and she always felt safe with him, protected, something that was necessary since she was a Siren, a rarity of the world. They could talk easily without pregnant pauses though he always seemed awkward around her. She had spent the latter half of her time with him when she wasn't trying to help him. Roland was, if anything, a gentle lover and treated her as a woman should've been. He was a passionate man, a guardian of all good things, a methodical soldier with a level head and a plan. He always had a plan. Lilith knew she was reckless, without a strategy and always wanting to be on the forefront. Her phasewalk abilities helped her achieve this style of battle without too much negative response but on occasion she would regret it. Roland had swooped in and shielded her, quite literally, with his caring attitude and that Lance Turret that destroyed people. He had picked her up where she had previously fallen. Scowling, she tried to push the ghost of a memory out of her head.

Nevertheless, a bigger threat had begun to loom over the horizon, tearing Pandora to pieces as the Atlas Corporation and Dahl Corporation continued to fall into ruin all around them. She had not seen Brick or Mordecai for so long though she had stayed in touch with Roland when he'd formed the Crimson Raiders, a resistance effort to save what was left of Pandora's citizens, a formation of soldiers who the Crimson Lance left behind. When her Siren powers had changed so drastically, when she'd began to learn how to harness more of their awesome power, she had met with Roland in secret, the assumption of her death in New Haven a guise to distract the newly ranked tyrant from ever finding her true identity and destroying her friends.

She had passed the place they'd once called home knowing full well none of them had been around long enough when Hyperion destroyed their home; she had narrowly escaped death upon her return. Someone had been out to murder the Vault Hunters when rumors of a new Vault emerged, when the discovery of Eridium erupted. It was then that her power had truly changed, it was then that she'd, ultimately, gone into hiding. It was then that she and Roland developed a plan to fight back and save all the people they could and they needed recruits; it was then that their friendship had turned into something more than either anticipated. And truth be told, to the present day, she cared for him very deeply. She remembered the night they had met up, the night they were supposed to recruit resistance members and find their old friends.

_Lilith walked cautiously into the decrepit, molding building, one of the few remaining on the outskirts of the decimated city of New Haven. After its destruction the Hyperion Corporation had left it, and all its dead, to rot including her supposedly dead self, only to return and rebuild it. She found Roland sitting on a crate going over plans with a few scant inches of light and what remained of the citizens who joined the resistance efforts following their home that had been razed to the ground. She signaled that she was there, still taking in all the changes that had occurred since she had disappeared those fateful years ago. Roland had been the easiest to track down though she knew of Brick's whereabouts. The Hunter was far more elusive. Whatever his reasons Lilith could not focus on them, not right now when survival was crucial for not only them, but the remaining populace as well. Taking a seat next to the Soldier, the Siren listened intently to his voice as he laid out the plan before them. It was a good plan—getting everyone to Sanctuary was the key to their staying alive. They needed a base of operations and Sanctuary was it. _

_When it came for questions or suggestion, she nudged him. "Roland, you're going to need a distraction, and a good one at that."_

"_Whatcha got, Lil?"_

_She stood, carefully moving a few feet back until everyone was staring at her. "This." With a deep breath she summoned her powers, her spine tingling for a moment before her wings expanded to their full length, bright and fiery in the night. Everyone gasped. "I think I can successfully distract Handsome Jackass if he thinks I'm dead, and that there's a new monster around."_

_Astounded, Roland quickly nodded before sending everyone to rest for the evening. As silence settled, Lilith let out a tired sigh from all the running. Her wings had disappeared almost immediately afterwards. "Ro…I'm going to need one terrifying nickname to pull this off."_

_He sat across from her, thoughtful. "When did that happen? You went missin for a while, even before Handsome Jack tried killin us. Why'd ya leave?"_

_She sighed again, this time looking up at the sky in response. "Does it matter? It's done. That part of our lives is over. What's there to talk about? What's important is the now and us surviving. Whatever we unleashed those years ago attracted Jack and he's not going to stop until he's wiped all of us out."_

_The Soldier turned mercenary shot her a knowing look. "Mordecai vanished shortly after you." When she bristled he raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not gonna pry but it don't take a genius to figure out what's been goin on. Listen, all I know is we gotta save these people and find a way to resist Jack."_

"_It's not just resistance, Roland," Lilith answered, eyes steely. "Jack wants us dead; he wants the planet. It's more than just us. He wants to own Pandora. The Hyperion Corporation has annihilated any competition—Atlas and Dahl are finished; they've been finished for a while now. The bounties on our heads are higher than ever. He's already rewritten history."_

"_We're better together. Your plan is great but without Brick and Skinny man, it ain't gonna fly forever. You don't run on batteries, girl," Roland said, not wanting to budge._

_Lilith shot him a forlorn look. "No, I don't. But…" he glanced at her. "I do run on Eridium. If Jack takes all that, my abilities…"_

_Shaking his head at her meaning, the dark skinned man turned back to his plans. "How about the Firehawk, a beast who devours bandits and liquefies them for food?"_

"_Have I always struck you as a man eater?" She quipped. "Though I do like the Firehawk part." Turning her head to the sky again, she began talking. "It happened the day that I…the day I left. I didn't know what was happening but there weren't any answers in New Haven. I had to find another Siren and up until now, I haven't been able to."_

"_Word is that there's a scam to attract Vault hunters with the intent to kill them," he responded. Lilith shot him a curious look. "My intel tells me this is a result of our revolt against Hyperion."_

"_Seriously?" She looked incredulous. "Jack will kill them. You've seen his ploy!"_

"_That's why we gotta iron this plan out. We gotta find Brick and Mordecai. We need more than a distraction, girl. We need spies, power and a lot of guns and ammunition." _

"_Fine," she consented half heartedly, not wanting to give the ghost of her past any more energy than it deserved. She needed to start looking forward towards whatever semblance of a future they may have and it would require a lot from all of them. Pushing the past out of her mind, she brought her full attention back to the Soldier. "What do you need me to do?"_

"_I'll find Brick, bring him back to Sanctuary, which is where we'll relocate. I sent Helena ahead of us with citizens to ensure their safety. I need you to find Mordecai. I don't got much to go on for his whereabouts. All I know is Moxxi's Underdome was destroyed and he disappeared after she got with this new tyrant who is planning to destroy the planet and take credit for our work, claimin he opened the Vault and that we're bandits. You got this?"_

"_Got it."_

Sighing, she returned to the present, her thoughts drifting as she glanced around her lair in search of another eridium chunk. Her mind felt heavy. She was sure that Jack had nothing good in store for any new vault hunters coming to Pandora—he wanted any and all future Vault Hunters dead. They were what stood in his way of controlling all the planet. The abundance of Eridium to power the Vault Key and cleanse the planet of pestilence was the plan. She didn't think the dredge of Pandora were by any means salvageable but it was their planet and if he wiped out all the bandit factions, what else would there be for her to do when she was bored? As it was, the Bloodshots provided her with a seemingly endless source of entertainment when they entered her abode. It was rare that she ever saw her friends now. Mordecai remained up in the hills, spying for Roland as was his role. Roland remained in Sanctuary, continuously recruiting for the Resistance with whoever had survived the journey there, or had survived at all—most were ex-crimson lance soldiers. She wasn't all that surprised to see Tannis, even less so to see Moxxi and that her business of choice was a bar. Lilith had the idea that Moxxi probably spiked her patrons drinks so they would get extra sauced and start a bar fight. Anything that involved fighting, possible blood and gore, was right up Moxxi's alley after the Underdome had been destroyed by Hyperion.

As for her, she did as instructed, creating the perfect distraction, masking herself as a monster so that Handsome Jack would assume she was still dead. Nevertheless she had a bad feeling the truth would eventually surface though she hoped it was later so she'd have sufficient time to plan an escape if he came after her. She was a Siren but no one could survive a Hyperion drone attack on their own, not even Saint Mordecai. Huffing at the thought of him again, she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay where she was. During her stay she had ECHOed Roland quite a few times, to which he seemed all business until she ruffled his feathers, which was easy—he was her ex, after all. Sometimes it felt like they weren't finished, that they'd parted ways merely because of what was happening around them. Or was that the Hunter she was thinking about? Shaking her head the Siren returned to the present, contemplating her dilemma. She had been intending to visit Tundra Express but Roland had warned against it, expressing that any communication with Mordecai was best done through and Echo, unlike with himself. Early on he had, in a sense, scolded her for doing this with himself—he was a wanted man. And she was dead, as far as anyone knew. If anyone found out she was alive and decided to sell that information to Hyperion then her personal well-being would be at stake, not to mention how detrimental it could be to the resistance and coup against Hyperion.

Sighing, she knew that while Roland was right, that she would not necessarily listen to everything he suggested. He would never outright tell her what to do but sometimes he had a way of convincing her to let go of silly or less than wise ideas. But today, Lilith needed to see the sniper to give him some information about the new Vault hunters. It was more than likely that Roland was communicating this all via ECHO but she hadn't seen him in some time and felt it was right to visit; to keep of appearances. She'd already visited Brick a couple times to check-in on how he kept the slab in line although she figured this had more to do with general boredom and lack of normal human contact. Mordecai's desire to remain in solitude in the Tundra had something, she strongly suspected, to do with his drinking habits, which had only worsened since he'd come to Sanctuary. He had always been a drinker. She could distinctly remember his breath smelling of Rakkale long before New Haven had been destroyed and they'd all been forced to flee. However, even she had to admit that his drinking had intensified and, left unchecked, she was sure one day they'd come to find him dead from an alcohol overdose—never mind that it hadn't yet happened. They were all companions and she wasn't about to let him kill himself because his hobby of choice happened to destroy peoples livers daily. Of course, she figured on Pandora this was a great way to pass the time. As it was, he was a generally quiet, to himself kind of guy. The Sniper hardly ever left his perch, reminding them that Bloodwing was all the company he needed.

She smirked when she reached his tower, bypassing the surrounding varkids with ease in her phasewalk. She began the climb upwards, endlessly irritated that he couldn't seem to stay in a normal shack like everyone else. Once at the top, she poked her head inside, unsurprised to find Bloodwing staring at her intently, the bird's eyes following her every movement as she clambered inside rather ungracefully and fell on her bottom. The impact of the noise, followed shortly thereafter by a loud curse, caused the drunken hunter to roll over away from her, his arms flailing to block out her presence. He groaned loudly but Lilith didn't pay him any mind as she picked herself up and fell onto his bedding.

"Go away," he groaned out again.

The fiery siren smirked. "Well, if it isn't asshat, drunk and hungover. Wake your ass up, old man. Roland has new intel for you."

"Yeah…I know," he trailed irritably. "And he ECHOed me. What the hell are you doing over here? You're not supposed to leave hiding."

She snorted, unladylike and poked him in the side. Despite having been in her relationship with Roland previous to the Firehawk fiasco, she could distinctly remember the way the other man's body felt. Blushing a little, Lilith shook off the thought when her finger made contact with his taut but lean waist. The red wrappings around his body protected him from most of the impact of her feminine digit but he still grunted in response.

"I swear little girl…you're so childish."

The response elicited a heavy silence from her as a wave of fresh memories hit her, causing her to grit her teeth in annoyance and discomfort. She also, coincidentally, hadn't been called little girl or childish in a long time, which sent her back to that night in Old Haven. '_You're fine; you're not childish. Roland has proven that over and over again.'_ When he said nothing further, and she didn't answer in return, Mordecai rolled over again to look at her. She was staring straight ahead, golden eyes distracted—or lost in thought, he figured—staring off into a spot in his dwelling that couldn't possibly interesting seeing that it was in fact a steel wall. Sighing, the colorblind man sat up and snapped his careful fingers in front of her face, bringing her back to attention.

"Thinking?" His voice was gruff, raspy from the years of drinking.

She smirked when he stretched and made to stand. "No time for that."

At 45 years old, Mordecai still looked amazingly good for his age, and he was physically fit with sniper skills still unrivaled by anyone on Pandora, if she had to admit to such. Instead, she turned away, ignoring him as he stretched all 6'2 of his frame to the ceiling above. His long legs, strong with lithe muscles rippled beneath the gray material of his pants made Lilith blush again, though he could not see. The heavy scent of Rakkale mixed with machinery oil and musk invaded her senses and she could only inhale it without him looking. Seconds later she realized he was leaning over to help her up, his hand taking hers to assist her in standing. Lilith jumped at the contact, bolting up so quickly that she ended up knocking him down. He suddenly fell backwards, still in a hung over state, with his hand still gripping hers tightly. She let out an uncharacteristic yelp as she tumbled forwards, smacking into his chest so hard her cheek hurt from the impact. For a moment she stopped to rub her cheek, freezing when she discovered their position. Mordecai was cursing quietly, his back having hit the steel wall seconds before she'd landed atop him and pushed him further into the grating. Blushing, she tried to get her bearings straight. It had been quite some time since she'd been in such close proximity of him, quite some time since space had been even remotely scant. The fire between them had been so raw, so live, so heated that Lilith couldn't remember why they'd stopped. Forgetting herself, the red-headed Siren brought her gaze to his that remained blocked by the green goggles, her free hand slowly reaching up to touch his cheek. But she stopped mere seconds away when the hand that was holding her upright tensed, then shook. She quickly looked at his hand, then back up at him, her eyes curious.

"Lilith…" Her name felt forbidden on his tongue, the sound shaky, velvety; she moved.

Catching herself, she began to back away, flushed, nervous, her heart racing. "I uh…yeah, I…so I'll let Roland know you're okay. I'll see you later."

She couldn't breathe, practically shoving herself out of the sniper's perch, face pink, heart hammering in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her bloodstream as she entered her phasewalk and fled. Completely forgetting the reason she'd gone to visit, Lilith activated her phase shift. She needed to get back to the Firehawk's lair and she needed to do it fast.

Once she'd disappeared the hunter breathed out a sigh of relief that she'd gone. Letting his head fall back against the metal wall, Mordecai felt his hand flexing, still tense, his body tingling all over at the feel of her against him. How many restless nights had he drunk himself into oblivion just to try and wash away the memory of her and Roland in Sanctuary that day? How many countless nights had he fallen asleep, trying desperately not to dream of her, to think of her and the feel of her small, delicate but deadly hands touching every part of him? Reaching for the nearest bottle of Rakkale, the sniper firmly told himself to get a grip. In the background Bloodwing cawed in worry, her shiny feather flapping a little when he let out his arm for her to land on. The magnificent bird alighted on his arm, her sharp claws digging into his flesh, which made him wince with welcomed pain he felt he deserved. Every moment spent away was something he deserved, he told himself repeatedly, for walking out on her. '_And for her walking out on me_,' he thought bitterly. The memory of their meeting again sprang up again, fresh, unbidden, angry in his mind as if to mock him, taunt him for his lack of courage. '_I was trying to keep her safe_.' And in truth he was. They didn't know what would be in the Vault and he wasn't about to risk them, especially her, to unnecessary danger. Then he'd lost her, to himself, to the Vault, to Roland. He took a rather long swig when the images of her and their friend bombarded him.

"_Mordecai, my man, can't tell you how good it is to have you here! I gotta fill you in on this part of the plan. But we got some new recruits, just signed up. Lilith, you wanna fill him in?"_

"_Sure, no problem." She winked, smile wide. "Go get 'em tiger."_

_Mordecai watched as Roland vanished into the distance before Lilith turned to him again. "So, let me get the plan rolling for you. I know it's been a while since you've been around but I'm sure you've heard all the rumors, right?"_

_He nodded. 'So…it's like nothing happened?' Then he remembered her words that day in Old Haven. 'We never were good Mordy.' Shaking the thought away, he followed her, his eyes glued on the sway of her hips as they entered Roland's base. She said nothing to him about why she'd left during the hour long briefing conversation; he remained quiet. It was no use to try and talk to her about their past—she seemed ecstatic about having the Crimson Lance soldier as her new beau. And he vowed to remain in his solitary lifestyle, content to know that she was alive and not too far away. _

He'd left not too long after, choosing a life of solitude in Tundra Express with Bloodwing and a bottle, as opposed to being around Roland and Lilith. When he thought about it very much like he was currently doing, he felt anger and jealousy build inside him, waiting to erupt. Did the Soldier please her like he did? Did he see the Siren in the height of her power, full of rapture, of undiluted lust, of raging fire? Did he ever feel the raw energy reverberating through her body, the glow of her skin in shades of gray, the heat of her being searing through every nerve ending? He clenched his hands, the animosity threatening to take hold as he thought of her supple flesh, the sinew and muscles beneath his fingertips, how she'd arched into him that night, their first night. She'd been beautiful, a goddess of color, of power, of passion—lighting up his world in brilliant shades of grays. He yearned for it. He craved her, every part of her—her witty, sarcastic mind; her intoxicating, wild energy; her thoughtful, compassionate soul; her loving, devoted heart. It had been tearing him apart inside for years. The knife continued to dig deeper with every passing moment he saw them together; he wanted to be in the soldier's place. He wondered if she ever thought about that night. _'But no, she didn't, she couldn't,'_ he thought bitterly.

She was no longer interested; she was Roland's, whether they had broken up or not.

Sucking in a deep breath, the sniper readied himself for the day, pushing the thoughts and images away in hopes that it would soon all go away. Shaking his head, he knew better. It'd been 5 years and nothing had changed.

Didn't she understand how much it had taken out of him to do the right thing for them? Didn't she understand how much it killed him then, how much it killed him now? That night five years ago haunted him in ways that were all pleasurable, and it left a certain amount of guilt and despair in its awake—or it should have. And yet he couldn't dwell there for long when he remembered how her nails felt on his back, digging into his scarred flesh only to leave further scars, crescents and moon shapes in his shoulder blades. He let out a hiss of need when he thought about how her supple body would feel flush against his as it had that night 5 years ago; how her firm breasts would feel against his bare chest; how his legs would feel, caged by her thighs. He dreamed of it every night, the dreams more vivid on some nights when the booze hit his system faster than sleep could claim him. He could almost feel her on those special nights when the rakkale coursed through his system like fire, could feel her soft, feminine curves molding into his thin frame; could see her face in the throes of ecstasy; could hear the moans of desire, of wanton need spilling forth from her lips. He relived that over and over again without any shame now that he was all alone in his home.

If she ever found out he was sure she'd be disgusted or hate him, especially with how things were going now and how overprotective Roland had become as of the late. He was positive that she no longer gave that night any thought or attention, let alone a second to ponder what could've been had the timing been different. Hell, he'd be happy even if she hated him for that night, if she wanted to stab him or something because then it meant, at the very least, she thought of him. In fact, their little interlude left him curious since Roland could easily ECHO him information without any of them having to risk too much. As it was, Lilith wasn't really supposed to use the ECHO net for fear that Jack may discover she was indeed alive and doing quite well, if the Bloodshots and her cult were any indication. Although twisted, he knew they recognized her for amazing being she was, and worshipped her for the goddess encompassed. He thought it fortunate for his amusement, however, that they didn't realize the threat she actually posed to them and their band of miscreants. As it was, she killed many of them daily since they'd wander into her territory. He only wished he could be there to see her in all her glory, and maybe score a few headshots in the middle of her delicious chaos. Truth be told, he missed shooting actual bandits as opposed to Varkids or other warped creatures. Something about battling alongside her, with Bloodwing on his shoulder or flying around scouting, brought a calming sense of satisfaction to him. He noted, begrudgingly at first, that he felt the same way when she was around her, talking to her, looking at her, touching her.

Sometimes he thought that if he had stayed, or at least remained celibate that she would hate him less. But his affair with Moxxi only made things worse, even if the sex had been pretty interesting. Moxxi was a crazy woman, pleasure was her ultimate goal and therefore, anything went. In fact, she had hated how much he doted on Bloodwing, something Lilith didn't mind—she'd understood. He wouldn't go as far as to think that Lilith thought it was sweet but he knew she thought it nice that he loved his bird so much. There were pros and cons to Moxxi herself but the fact of the matter was, in the end, she had chosen to leave him for Handsome Jack, the raging psycho who was trying to destroy everything that meant anything to all of them. He had destroyed her Underdome, her one true passion aside from sex—which was why they were, obviously, no longer going out. However, Mordecai reminded himself that this was of no importance. Moxxi was not Lilith, not a Siren, not a friend persay. She tended to tease him or talk shit to him or about him at every given chance. '_I swear that woman lives for drama, anything to push peoples' buttons and anything violent.'_ While Moxxi always had jobs for him to do, when she relocated to Sanctuary he could find even less reasons to stay there though his main one remained, to the present, Lilith and Roland's relationship. Lilith was happy. In the now, she was occupied and she didn't give him a split second of thought.

Or he had been so sure before their interlude the very same afternoon in his Sniper's perch. Bloodwing cawed again, her cautious cries bringing him back to the present. "Yeah, Blood, got it. Time to shoot some pendejo insectos with slag rounds."

Bloodwing cawed yet again, this time taking off from his arm to assist her master as the Hunter jumped from the opening of his perch to the metal grating below. Aiming his rifle for the nearest Varkid, he pulled the trigger and let out a solemn but maniacal smile. "No rest for the wicked."

* * *

Lilith sighed, immediately plopping into the middle of her den with a tired but restless air about her. Every cell in her body screamed for more Eridium to ease the ache in her bones, to ease the pain in her limbs like a hyped up narcotic. She quickly absorbed a hunk of it into her system, sighing in irritation that her powers, though amazing, relied so heavily on the element, which she was beginning to associate with drugs. Roland would probably be upset with her for running off so recklessly but it appeared that no one else would say anything to the hunter. Despite their past, the four of them were all each other had and she had once cared for him deeply. '_Once?_' she shoved the thought, rather violently, back into the deepest recesses of her head, willing herself to focus on what was important, what was at stake. '_My health?_' she mused while making to stand up, her body sagging a little from the current dilemma they all faced. If Handsome Jack managed to kill any and all Vault Hunters coming to Pandora, what was stopping him from controlling the Vault? They'd nearly died fighting Wilhelm all those years ago. Their time was soon coming to an end, their resistance not putting up nearly enough of a fight to stop the tyrant from destroying all of Pandora. Sure, destroying his mining teams and such had done some damage but it seemed as though it'd barely made a dent in the bigger operation. They needed a better plan. Any Vault Hunters arriving should've been able to help but with Jack killing all of them the moment they arrived it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit new soldiers for the resistance.

She was still pondering all this when her ECHO beeped. Glancing down, she blanched a bit before finally answering the caller. "Sup?"

"My intel says that one of the new Vault Hunters is a Siren."

It took her a moment to process this. She fumbled with the ECHO device, almost dropping it at the news he had just given her. For a moment she thought to mention what had transpired between them but thought better of it. "Does…Roland know this?"

"Yeah, but…thought I'd relay it to you. Think it means more to you than the resistance."

Silence followed for a few minutes, Lilith far too overjoyed about finding another Siren, and more than happy that Mordecai had given her this information. She briefly wondered why Roland hadn't yet but assumed he'd just found out. "Uh…thanks, asshat, you didn't have to. Roland probably would've sooner or later. Always good to know more of my kind are around."

"Yeah, I know." Another pause, like he wanted to say something. "I…gotta go."

"Yup, me too. Later."

The ECHO went silent. Lilith stared at the device like it'd grown two heads, her fingers trembling as she set it down on the table top next to her Eridium stash that remained locked in its case. Something in his voice, something about his tone, set her on edge at the same time that it set her heart hammering again, fluttering in her ribcage with an all too familiar feeling she'd longed worked to erase. She didn't have to say anything about Roland but she did, somehow feeling like this would make him say the real reason why he had ECHOed her. Instead, their conversation had ended quickly. It wasn't like she didn't see how he bristled around Roland, how he tensed when the soldier was around. '_Mordecai being his typical I-don't-take-orders ass,_' she mused bitterly, part of her suddenly disappointed that he was probably throwing what she was sure was a tantrum at having to take orders from the younger man. Mordecai was a stubborn man and didn't like listening to anyone though, on occasion, he had listened to her and very intently at that. Sighing, she rubbed her temples in agitation. '_This train of thought is not good,_' she decided, sure that letting the previous part of her past out was always a bad idea since it meant she'd have to give it even an iota of thought. As it was, Roland would be upset when he eventually found what she'd done on top of the fact that she had violated the agreement. Well, unspoken agreement.

At times like this, she missed him, missed them. She missed the easy way she could talk to him, be around him, bother him. It was also, coincidentally she missed ECHOing him to brag about how awesome her powers had become. But he'd cut their communication down so drastically that she felt like she was getting scolded every time she ended up using the ECHO net, even though she knew it was because Roland cared. Cranky, the Siren stood, her sunburst eyes looking towards the opening of her home with a forlorn sense of satisfaction. She missed the days where she could wander freely without being recognized, the days where visiting the hunter wasn't going to get her in trouble or almost expose her false death. Lilith refocused her attention back to the ECHO again, this time unsure whether she should call him back and ask what he was about to say. She wasn't sure what was stopping her. Placing it back down again she moved to her sleeping area, content to sit down and try to sleep, to regain all the strength lost from her Phaseshift and the after effects of the Eridium. The multicolored horizon of Pandora filtered in through whatever openings existed around, creating a fiery, red and orange haze that she was happy to have the privilege of viewing. And somewhere out there, she knew he couldn't and that made her heart ache even more.

* * *

The next morning carried on like any other with Lilith bored out of her mind in Sanctuary, eyes wide and alert, hands ready to shock anything within distance. She'd been far more edgy as of the late, almost to the point of feeling like she needed rehab from the Eridium. Mordecai observed her as she paced around most of the top floor from nervousness he sure stemmed from Roland's absence. Early that morning he'd received an ECHO communiqué requesting they meet at the base for an emergency meeting. Naturally Brick declined, too busy smashing in the heads of bandits and traitors alike, fulfilling his bloodlust with his bare hands. Personally, Mordecai thought the one thing more desirable and exhilarating that sexual ecstasy was the perfect headshot with his trusted Sniper Rifle. Sighing, he couldn't take it anymore as it appeared Lilith would burn a hole through the concrete floor with just her feet alone. Standing albeit very slowly, and very hung over from a night of lecherously vivid dreams of the current Siren in front of him, Mordecai reached out a thin but strong arm to halt her assault on the worn flooring.

"Give it a rest, would ya? You're making my head hurt even more. Ro will be here in a minute. He's probably just trying to convince Brick to come. Calma, mujer de fuego," he said, rubbing his aching temple with his free hand.

She shot him a questioning glare at this, eyebrow raised. "Asshat, you know I don't know what the hell that means."

Grumbling, he continued, her arm still encircled firmly in his grip. "It means calm down, fire woman, quite literally."

She chuckled, still not really aware of their proximity or how his grip had softened involuntarily, or how they had gravitated towards each other in the messy room. Without a second thought she reached up, her lithe fingers catching a hold of the red bindings atop his head, effectively tugging on the protruding pieces that looked very much like horns. He mumbled something while trying to swat her hand away but in his hazy state she managed to successfully catch a hold of one, deftly bringing his head down before snapping the sides of his goggles into his skin. Mordecai let out a loud curse, free hand flying to rub the sensitive flesh while Lilith chuckled good naturedly beside him, her small hand covering her vermillion colored lips. Growling at her, he brought his hand to the tips of her hair and tugged lightly, a smirk placing his lips when she suddenly whined like a child and leaned towards him, one of her hands flailing to get him to loosen his grip.

"Hey, you big dumbass, what gives? That's my hair, old man!"

"Those were my goggles and I have a hangover, you brat!"

"Asshat!"

"Princess!"

"Ahem."

Both separated at such a lightning fast pace that Mordecai felt his head begin to pound. Lilith almost tripped over the nearest chair when she heard Roland's voice from the doorway. The flush of her cheeks was so hot that it took her a full minute to compose herself before she was able to turn around and face her ex-boyfriend without embarrassment. To his credit, Roland looked unsurprised if not a little amused. Mordecai was holding his head and mumbling more and more obscenities to the air. The silence was becoming successively uncomfortable when there were loud footsteps on the staircase, signaling that the ex-crimson lance soldier managed to get Brick back to Sanctuary. While it didn't guarantee his cooperation or agreement, Mordecai and Lilith both took this as a good sign since he'd agreed to come. The berserker carelessly plopped himself down on the nearest chair, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

"You all know why we're here soldiers."

Mordecai rolled his eyes, taking a seat across from their hulking friend. His eyes darted to the side when he noticed Lilith standing not too far away, hand on her hip; but she appeared nervous, anxious. Turning his attention back to Roland, the sniper waved his hand for a moment before stretching his arm out for Bloodwing to land. "Ro, come on, amigo. We're not your soldiers. What's this about?"

"Everyone heard about the new Vault Hunters?" Everyone gave him some sort of confirmation regarding his statement. "I think this is it, guys. I think these might just be the Vault Hunters who can help us."

Brick interjected. "That's assumin he doesn't kill them first."

"I have a good feeling," the soldier replied.

Lilith bit her lip. "Roland…"

Mordecai sighed. "A feeling? Amigo, what else do you got to go on?"

"Not much but they're on their way here, to Pandora. They're all the hope we got left, if they survive."

Mordecai, Brick and Lilith looked at each other incredulously though the hunter was the first to speak. "None of them have so far. Why would this batch be any different?"

"I told you, Mord, I got a feelin."

Shrugging his shoulders, Mordecai stood and made his way over to the digital map to stand across from Roland who was braced against the ledge of the panel. "Okay so…what's the plan?"

Lilith moved to his right, Brick to his left. Looking up, the hunter's eyes briefly caught the Siren's and both blushed though it was far more noticeable on Lilith. No one else seemed to see it though, the pale blue light of the digital hologram casting her face in an aura of a sickly palor. No one said anymore as Roland began to layout the plan and strategy for them, earning many skeptical looks from Brick. Once they were done briefing, their behemoth of their friend turned to leave, pausing momentarily at the door.

"I can't go along with this."

Roland nodded, smile tight. "I kinda figured you'd say that, Brick."

"Not enough violence for me. Our methods are different, Roland."

"What about that favor?" The soldier said as Brick made to take the first step to descent the stairs.

"Call it in when you really need it."

Just like that Brick had disappeared back to his post. Mordecai glanced around, uncomfortable once again with the silence and Lilith's proximity with Roland in the same room as them. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he saw Lilith shifting from foot to foot between them even though Roland was intently observing the map on the panel. He brought his gaze to hers, their eyes locking and her golden irises wide, anxious, eager for something. He shook his aching head and turned his back to her. She looked like she wasn't sure who to follow, who to go to. So he made the decision for her yet again, beginning to walk out of the control room when he heard Roland's voice. He offered a mere glance over his shoulder where he could still see the Siren shifting from foot to foot. His lips tightened in a frown when he saw Roland come towards Lilith and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit then shuddered before settling and fleeing to the balcony outside.

"Mord, you got the intel part in Tundra Express?"

The Hunter nodded. "Got it. No problemo."

Roland smiled. "Thanks."

Mordecai nodded and once again started moving when Roland stopped him again. "Yeah?"

"You guys gotta stop the ECHO communiqués. If she's discovered…the consequences…she's a priceless rarity. She's our friend. We can't risk her being found. You understand, my friend? She's special."

Gritting his teeth, he nodded again though this time it was forced, his fists clenching. "I said, got it."

"Good."

Holding his breath the hunter quickly waved and disappeared out of the base in search of the fast travel station back to his house. On his way out he turned to look at the balcony. He could see her gazing off into space, seemingly lost. She looked beautiful in the setting sun, her pale skin bathed in the afterglow of Pandora's sky though he could only decipher shades of gray, white and black. He stared at her for a moment, unaware how long it'd been until she looked down, their eyes connecting again despite his truxican mask. A small smile placed her lips and he began to lift his hand to wave when he saw Roland approach from behind. Immediately her gaze hardened and she spun away from him. Sighing inwardly, Mordecai abruptly turned and made his way back towards the travel station, bitterness over taking him as he traveled back to Tundra Express. That night as he lay on his cot, Bloodwing perched comfortably on her perch near his head, he stared at the ceiling, the bottle of rakkale almost gone, with barely contained disappointment and anger. Throwing the now empty bottle at the adjacent wall, Mordecai rolled over in his sleep. He hoped the new vault hunters could help because as the time drew nearer, he was finding he had less and less to be happy about. At least if Jack lost, they'd all be safe. She'd be safe. And nowadays, that's all he could ask for anymore.

* * *

_(Part 3 is done, and it was difficult to write this even though it was kind of a filler…pre-BL2 isn't easy! Damn the canon pairing (I still love Roland though) and damn having to give it legitimacy, lol. I do want to say that I kind of think Mordecai is a raging drunk cause he likes it…but that it got worse cause of Roland/Lilith-Ghostanimal and her BF's helpful theory. And yet, they're in this together so, to me, it makes sense that in their slightly older age, they'd look out for each other, worry, etc—his also stems from caring about her. This fic is Mordecai/Lilith but it will continue to be mostly from her viewpoint. Anyway, this is interlude 2—there will be a part 4 and that will be the longer part, and relatively happy!)_

_~sadistickunais_


	4. Part 4

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will Borderlands, and this is NOT for profit. All this belongs to the rightful owners: 2K, Gearbox games, whatever else…can't remember all their names but you get the drift. I own NOTHING. Because If I did…lemme tell you how it would have turned out…hehe.

A/N: More back story, and yeah. That's all I got right now, peeps. On to ETA! And the rest.

FYI: EVERY reference to the term "asshat" is property, or the idea of, Blitz Chick, who wrote "In Your Eyes" for the BL archive. I loved the term for Mordecai and couldn't resist. All credit for that nickname goes to her because that's where I saw it. Also…I can't remember which Author had the idea to rename Mordecai's new Bloodwing egg Roland but I like it and stuck with it. Credit for this goes to that Author.

* * *

**Aftermath is for Fools**

"Mordecai!" Lilith called up to the sniper's post. She had no doubts that he'd drunk himself stupid the night before like he had been for years—she'd be surprised if his liver was still able to process any of the sludge he drank. It had been a good couple of years since the new Vault Hunters had stopped Handsome Jack and run the Hyperion Corporation into the ground. Everyone on Pandora had been doing a lot of clean up, or celebrating. In his case, and in her opinion, the Hunter had been partying a little too hard, even if there were no looming threats as of the present. While it was true that Pandora had been saved, Lilith couldn't help but feel that the reason for Mordecai's binge drinking had nothing to do with celebration. They had been playing this game for years. The only time she saw him anymore was if he came to Sanctuary for more Rakkale or when they went, collectively, to visit Roland's grave site. Their friends, the new Vault hunters, had left to go discover more vaults, trying to find a way to find riches while destroying them or keeping their whereabouts from Hyperion. It was messy work and Lilith found that it was unwise for the rest of them to leave Pandora. Today was the day their friends were to return with information on the other Vaults.

Sighing, she called to him again. "I said old man; wake your decrepit ass up!"

The varkids took note of her loudness but she dispatched them easily, quickly expanding her bright orange wings. The hissing, she knew, would draw his attention if her voice had not. She could hear Mordecai grumbling and took note of the silence that followed Bloodwing's absence. He had received another Bloodwing egg shortly after Jack's fall, courtesy of Maya and Zero, and had named it Roland in memory of her fallen lover and their friend. Lilith felt a twinge of pain at this but brushed it aside. He emerged moments later with Roland on his arm looking worse for wear with his locks out of place, stumbling a little.

"This better be important." He opened his mouth to say something further but she held up her hand as he descended.

"Save it, raspy ass; we need to talk. Got a minute?"

Without waiting for an answer she quickly started towards his home that overlooked the varkid ranch. He mumbled a string of obscenities but followed her, stretching and rolling his shoulders to get out the kinks of sleeping in his perch instead of his bed. Once inside she leaned against the nearest wall as he yawned, his bottle of Rakkale in his hand, and leaned against the wall opposing her while Roland moved to perch on his shoulder. The red-headed siren let out a deep sigh, her features no longer hiding. She wanted to scream at him but there was so much time lost between them now she wasn't sure what could be said.

"You know why I'm here."

He nodded. "I'm not going to stop so just leave, Lilith."

She sighed. "This has been going on for far too long. We're worried. It's been…it's been two years. Enough is enough. You're going to die out here, a lonely drunk."

He narrowed his eyes behind the green goggles, his lips in a tight frown. "Well, out here there's a lot to do. I'm a better shot when I'm drunk and watching the Tundra is what I do best. Besides, ain't anything for me in Sanctuary." He looked to the side, lost in his thoughts suddenly. _'There hasn't been for years.'_

Exasperated, she shifted to the left, hands on her hips. "Really? Because I could sure use your help. It's been two years and I still don't have the best handle on the city. I can't…" she breathed out heavily. "Mordecai…please…I can't do this by myself. If Roland was here I…trust me…I wouldn't ask this of you."

Sneering, the alcohol fresh in his system, the Hunter scowled. "I know you wouldn't. I haven't been very reliable. Wouldn't want to ask old Mordecai the drunk to help with something so important."

Anger flaring, Lilith pushed forward from her perch on the wall, golden eyes ablaze and a light purple glow about her from her Siren powers. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? That has nothing to do with this." Her face flushed an angry red to match her hair, the barely held at bay tears shining in her golden irises. "You fucked Moxxi. And don't even say it was just some bet. You were the one who whined about losing her to Handsome Jackass!"

"I didn't care about her." _There, he thought, I finally said it. Fuck me._

Shocked, she took a step back. The anger willing to erupt from within her immediately fizzled into nothingness, the silence hanging between them thick and unyielding as she fought for words. "Really? Well, I can't say I didn't care about Roland."

"Then what're you doing here? That was the past. We can't change it."

Her voice softened. "I was worried. I know you're…and what happened with Bloodwing…"

"Don't," he said, voice steely as he downed a rather large sip of Rakkale.

She sighed. "Mordecai…I came to check on you, okay? We're your friends; we care about you. Even Maya and the others have asked how you're doing. They'd be here too if their hands weren't full with keeping the local bandit population in check or looking for the other vaults while I run Sanctuary."

He chuckled bitterly. "Well…I wouldn't want to keep you now."

Aghast, Lilith's hand connected with his cheek, the space between them gone so quickly they were both stunned when the bottle of Rakkale flew from his hand to the ground. "You jerk…" she whispered, golden eyes accusatory. "After everything we've been through, after what happened in New Haven, with Hyperion…look, I'm sorry about Bloodwing, she was a loyal friend but….we're here too. We care so don't you dare pretend like we don't." Lilith bit her tongue. "Look…I had a good reason. I needed someone…you didn't. It's why you left in the first place. It's why you dumped me, remember? Before the Vault...before all…this."

"I didn't have…you wouldn't understand. I couldn't."

She frowned at this, arms crossed over her bosom. "And I…couldn't wait." He stared at her and Lilith couldn't stand it for she knew what his eyes were saying despite the mask. "Fuck Mordecai, I loved you, you bastard! But you didn't love me back. You couldn't. You wouldn't. I didn't want to wait around like some lovesick female. Roland cared! He held me, he listened, and he was there. Where…were you?"

The hunter slumped against the wall, tired of fighting. "I was watching…hoping you'd find someone you deserved."

Angry, the Siren seethed. "That was never your choice to make, old man." A flush spreading about her cheeks as she turned away. "Fine. I'll tell everyone you need some time and space. I'll be in Sanctuary."

She was almost out of the opening when she heard it, the answer making her momentarily freeze mid-step. "I did love you, you know. I still do, too."

It was a whisper she supposed he didn't mean for her to hear. But she had. Gritting her teeth she began to make her way towards Scooter's, tears falling all the while. Mordecai sighed, watching her go, his body tired, eyes burning, an empty feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He needed her like he hadn't before, needed her flames to brighten his world, warm his body and soul; but that was a privilege he'd lost to the Crimson Raider leader years ago. When Roland had recruited him all those years ago he hadn't given it a second thought; it'd been a nice change to do something meaningful while drinking and sniping with Bloodwing by his side. Then he saw her, strutting behind the ex-Crimson Lance soldier, her laughter friendly, enticing. He'd frozen up for a second before they'd both turned to him, smiling, and her hand on his shoulder. Then everything had gone to shit, to hell in a hand basket. Their lives had been destroyed, the things they loved, the things they carried were taken and obliterated because of one selfish asshole. He had nothing left. Jack had taken everything from him—Bloodwing, Roland, Moxxi and at one point the bastard had taken Lilith. Thanks to Maya, Axton, Salvador and Zero she was returned to them but the price was heavy. He wanted nothing more than to kill Jack himself but he was needed in the background of battle until the Vault Hunters returned; Brick was helping lead them through it. But Mordecai knew that sooner or later the berserker would return to his Slab King post, especially with the Sheriff of Lynchwood dead. If he left Sanctuary Lilith would be alone, with or without the Vault Hunters.

He was glad to see that Lilith had developed a fast friendship with Maya, which he attributed to her being another Siren. Still, he wasn't sure how he felt being around Moxxi—they'd never had a good "Relationship" when they were together. She wanted a husband, he wanted drinks; she disliked his affection for Bloodwing and he didn't like the idea of being her husband. Everyone around them was sure it was a good match; especially with how much he drank and how much time he spent inside of the Underdome killing hordes of Bandits. But it was Lilith he wanted, Lilith he craved. All the time he thought about her, how the years that stretched between them grew longer and longer until it seemed inevitable that they would ever be honest with each other. The façade was easier; it had always been. Until it was no longer a complete façade and she fell in love with another. He'd pulled into himself betrayed not only by his own heart, but also by Moxxi's. He hadn't really expected to ever feel anything deep for the crazed Queen of the Underdome, and he didn't. But the fact that he'd been dropped for a raging, tyrannical psycho like Handsome Jack had been a stab to more than just his ego. The barb had been pushed in deeper, twisted and almost gutted him at the sight of Lilith and Roland. Sighing, he tried to erase these thoughts but for all his effort, they did not disappear just as they had not for the last 7 years. Instead they stewed there in his mind like the sludge of Rakkale he drank, potent and bitter, deceptive and soothing all at once.

He needed to repair what had just happened. Lilith was all he had left. She was all he ever had.

And after 7 years of bullshit, of excuses and lies, she was all he ever wanted.

* * *

Back in Sanctuary, Lilith collapsed onto the nearest chair, one located conveniently near the balcony that overlooked the city, the one she used to find Roland gazing from when he was deep in thought. She sighed, the memories of all they'd had moving through her mind like pictures, flashes of photographs of a wound that had long since closed. The loss of Roland had rocked all of them to the core. They'd lost a great man that day, a hero, the leader of their resistance. She'd taken up the post of such without hesitation during the time when the memory of Jack shooting him before her festered like an infected cut that would go away. In that moment, when she'd lunged for Jack, she thought of nothing but revenge for her fallen comrade, for a man she had once cared for deeply. Tears sprang to her eyelids—it was repetition all over again. She'd sought solace in the mercenary, solace from a man she had loved so long, so strongly. And it had sufficed for some time until it no longer did because the man from before had not been forgotten, had not disappeared. In fact, Lilith suspected that her attachment to Roland came from a twisted adoration, a source of comfort and emotion Mordecai had not provided. Roland was awkward—in a cute way—but friendly, sweet and to the point. He was not elusive, curt or brash. Irritated that she was comparing her two companions the Siren grabbed her echo, suddenly desperate for friendly company.

"Maya, come in. Are you guys back yet?"

The blue haired Siren answered moments later. "Hey fearless leader, just returned with the boys. What's going on?"

"You got a minute, killer?"

The echo beeped. "Sure thing. Give me five minutes and I'll be there. Just have to drop Zero off at the bar."

Lilith blinked, curious. "That guy drinks?"

"No, he wanted to stop and talk to Axton and Salvador. They're off being their usual whore selves at Moxxi's disposal," she replied. "Be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks, killer." The red headed Siren leaned back onto her chair as the echo communicator turned off, her eyes gravitating towards the walls that were now barren of Roland's pictures.

_She hadn't been able to keep them up but Mordecai had insisted that she save at least one, for remembrance. He had also stayed with her that night, like many nights, when Brick had left to check on his kingdom of bandits; slab bandits were particularly stupid. Absent of Bloodwing, the Hunter didn't want to return to the Tundra either. They'd both sat there, the conversation short as Lilith cried and Mordecai seethed, bottles and bottles of Rakkale between them, some closed, others completely gone. The Hunter had one hanging between his fingers, taking swigs as Lilith slumped on the table, head in her hands. It had been a good amount of months since Jack had been killed but the memories felt fresh on certain days. _

"_It wasn't your fault Lilith."_

"_Yes it was! Angel told us not to go in there, told ME not to go in there and I did."_

"_Angel also almost got us killed 5 years ago, Lil. We didn't know if we could trust her. We…took a gamble."_

_The tears continued. "But if you…if you had seen it…"_

_Not usually good with feelings, Mordecai wasn't sure what to say to her now. Instead, he stood and walked over to her, effectively silencing her when his hands lifted her into his thin but strong arms. He didn't know if it was the inebriation that had made him act so caringly without so little effort, wasn't sure if the alcohol had lowered his inhibitions, wasn't sure if it was irrationality taking hold but he didn't care. Lilith hiccupped, momentarily choking on her sobs when his arms brought her so close that she could smell him, and feel his body melding against hers like it had all those years ago. That ghost of an ember ignited inside her, something she long thought was dead or stagnant flared to life. She buried her head in his chest, the tears now a mixture of sadness, regret, longing for something that could never be, something that confused her. It erupted within her, feelings of depression and loss battling reawakened feelings of want and desire. In one fell swoop he had sparked the Phoenix back to life, his intention not to do so but he had. She knew he was trying to comfort her, trying to give her all the things he couldn't in the absence of their friend. Lilith was embarrassed at this occurrence. She was clearly mourning Roland, her heart aching at the loss; yet enjoying the feel of the Hunter's embrace._

"_I miss him, too. Ro was a good man, the best man of all of us. I know you loved him." She quivered at the word, not sure why. Mordecai took this as a sign of more tears to come, and sighed in despair, the alcohol coursing through his system so volatile he couldn't think about what he was saying anymore. "I'm sorry…I'm here. I've always been. Always will be."_

_Shuddering, the tears fell harder. Mordecai, oblivious to her inner turmoil, simply hugged her tighter, his chin rested atop her head, and whispered soothing words to her. He even went so far as to kiss the top of her dampened red hair. His hand was rubbing comforting circles on her back, while the other ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her. She blushed again and cried harder. He was doing all the things he never had, all the things she'd wanted from him, because Roland wasn't here to do them for her. Part of her was so angry at him; the other part yearned for this moment to last forever. She had cared for Roland so deeply, loved him. She had cared for Mordecai too much, loved him as well. She'd lost two loves to the Vault, to Pandora. She hated it all._

_In that moment her world tumbled down, his words sinking in to her alcohol addled brain, the ache in her heart flaring times ten. Suddenly it all made sense and she could see the clear picture, the truth compared to the one she'd painted, the one that had been painted for her too. He had been watching from the sidelines. It was why he had chosen the Tundra, why he had declined staying in Sanctuary, why he had been so closed faced when they'd met again. How long would he have stayed there, she wondered? Would he ever have come to her? All the pieces started to fall into place. Why he left her alone, why he chose solitude in some far off place, why he drank himself to high hell every day, why he sniped every bandit in view for the hell of it—it was a coping mechanism. She was about to ask when he started talking again._

"_When I saw you again…when Roland ECHOed me…I was going to tell you. I thought it was time to stop running, time to say everything I should've. I had wasted enough time. But then I saw you so happy, so vibrant…and I couldn't say it. You and Ro looked happy; I couldn't ruin that. Blood would keep me company…when I had Blood. I wanted to do all the things you wanted but…I didn't. I'm sorry Lilith."_

The rest of the night had been a blur, a night she remembered despite the two years that followed and the amount of alcohol consumed by both of them. It wasn't supposed to happen but it had, and she doubted he didn't recall it either. Limbs had intertwined, lips had met, tongues had danced, and fingers had touched every inch of skin they could manage. It was a joining of bodies out of fear, desperation, pain, anger, frustration and need. And in the aftermath she had remembered a night, long ago, in the heat of the Pandoran sun, when his hands had touched her before. Even now the memory made her blush, filled her with such want and such desire from things that were, things that had come to pass, and things that she didn't know. And he'd departed after that, neither of them able to look at each other. Whether from shame, disgust, confusion or something both had run from long ago she didn't know; but he'd left, again. This time though, she couldn't blame him for how quickly he'd fled the space between them, full of uncertainty and unspoken words. Her feelings lay immersed in guilt and frustration, sadness and satisfaction at what had transpired that evening.

"Lilith?"

She snapped from her reverie to see Maya standing there, eyebrows raised in worry. "Oh, sorry, sup."

"What's going on? You don't look too hot." The blue haired siren replied, eyes curious.

"I'm always hot," Lilith supplied dully.

The affect wasn't lost to her Siren sister. With only 4 of them left, the two of them included, Maya was weary of how apathetic the new leader of Sanctuary had been as of the late. She'd rarely seen Lilith or Mordecai around. It was, according to their leader, normal for Brick to be MIA since he returned to his post of Slab king. He'd returned to help but could not remain in Sanctuary. She had soon become of aware of Mordecai's absence when she no longer found him in the city where Lilith ruled, alone and seemingly despaired. Maya naturally gravitated towards the other powerful Siren, always curious to learn more about their heritage, always wondering how it was that only six of them could exist during one time; she pondered what happened when the other died. Did more phase into existence, were more born in their stead? Bringing herself back to the present situation, Maya took a seat across from the Golden eyed warrior, leveling with her.

"You know what I mean," Maya said.

Lilith sighed, noncommittal. "I'm tired."

"You miss him."

She nodded. "I blame myself for not listening. I still cared about him. Even if I knew we weren't supposed to be together. It's beginning to feel like I'm supposed to be alone. First Mordecai…and now Roland is gone…"

Maya did a double take. "Wait…Mordecai?"

Nodding, the fiery Siren put her head in her hands. "Yes…back when we were younger…back when we first opened the vault. We…had been dating but…with the Vault journey we just…we ended it. It was a wiser decision at the time. The more feelings involved…the bigger the weakness. I would've gone ape shit if you hadn't saved Roland. He was such a hero; always in danger." She blew out a steady breath, looking at the balcony and recalling various memories.

The blue haired siren chuckled, understanding. "Axton is a lot like…Roland. Zero is…a lot like Mordecai. Must be the whole sniper and assassin tidbit. It's too bad Brick didn't hang around…he and Salvador would've had a lot of fun together."

"I loved him." Lilith said of their deceased companion. Maya put a comforting hand on Lilith's knee, frowning. "He was a great guy. I was afraid to lose him…now I see why we couldn't have a relationship. They…get in the way. Mordecai…that bastard was right. We almost died opening the Vault, and we almost died fighting Wilhelm. I'm…such a fucking fool."

"Roland was an amazing leader. I'm so sorry, Lilith," Maya replied sadly, her alabaster eyes tinged with uncertainty. "He freed us. I think he'd be proud of you and what you've all done."

"No…he wouldn't," Lilith responded, dejectedly.

Maya looked at her quizzically. "Can I ask you something?" Lilith nodded. "Why…is it…that you haven't told Mordecai any of this?"

Lilith shook her head. "That'd be horrible, blasphemous, killer."

The blue haired Siren sighed. "It's been what, 2 years? Are you going to pretend like you never thought about him these past years?"

Cornered, the older woman blanched in embarrassment when her cheeks flushed pink. "Well I—you see I…uh…fuck."

"I don't think Roland would want you to be miserable for the rest of your life. Some happiness is better than none," the younger woman replied firmly. "I know it might seem really weird but you deserve to be happy." She took Lilith's clenched hands in her own. "Come on…it's been so long since anyone has seen you smile. You deserve to be happy, trust me."

Her eyes began to tear as she smiled at Maya. "You're one to talk. When are you going to make the moves on Axton?"

Maya blushed. "Well I…don't actually like Axton, to be honest."

Lilith studied her for a minute, noticing Maya's blush and how she looked rather mortified. Then the red haired Siren's eyes widened. "Oh my…oh holy vault, Maya…do you like Salvador?!"

"No!" Maya hissed, bringing a finger to Lilith's mouth to quiet her.

Lilith's mouth dropped open unceremoniously. "But that leaves…oh wow…you like Zero?! Is that even possible? Is he…what is he?!"

Blushing furiously, Maya crossed her arms over her chest. "How the hell should I know? I just…there's something about him. Shut up, Lilith!"

Cracking up, the older woman put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should see if he can even take that helmet off and kiss you first before you go any further!"

Hiding her face behind her hair the younger Siren mumbled. "I already did that…"

"So he DOES have lips?" Lilith inquired with genuine curiosity. Maya nodded. "So…are they regular lips…?"

Maya shot her an annoyed glare. "Of course he does!"

There was a sudden knock at the doorway. Both Maya and Lilith halted their conversation to look only to find the Hunter there, his lanky form barely taking up any space. He appeared somewhat disheveled with an almost empty bottle of Rakkale in his hand, Roland perched on his shoulder. Maya shot her siren sister a warning look before standing and walking towards the doorway. She paused for a mere moment to glance into the green goggles of the Sniper before shaking her head and walking off, chuckling the whole time. It had only been a few hours since he had last interacted with Lilith but something was nagging him that they'd better repair their relationship. Plus Tiny Tina had ECHOed him. He took the now vacant chair across from her and ran his fingers over Roland's feathers for a moment before the bird moved to settle on her lap, cawing and snuggling in to her arms like a baby. Mordecai let a smile touch his lips despite the heavy tense silence that had settled between them like a hangman's noose. Lilith could feel her lips tighten into a frown even though her cheeks were burning and her head was swimming from his previous declaration. Oblivious to the fact that she'd heard him the Sniper gave her a concerned look very much like the one she'd used on him earlier.

"You feeling okay?"

Biting her tongue, she quickly started to rub Roland's back feathers in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. It seemed to work for in the minutes that follow she was able to face him. "Yeah, just…talking with Maya. Girl stuff. What's up?"

Not pressing the issue any further seemed the best option and so the hunter pointed to his ECHO. "Got a call from Tina over near Tundra Express. Said she wanted us to come over for a bit. You wanna come or should I tell her you're busy? She'll understand. Tina's good that way."

Lilith debated the idea of going with him to Tina's, the trepidation of what could happen during their short time trekking there weighing on her. She nodded her consent with the distinct feeling that paranoia had never suited her and it sure as hell wouldn't now. Roland seemed to sense that she would move soon and quickly flew from her lap only to come and rest on her outstretched arm. It appeared as though this is where the bird would stay. Mordecai shrugged nonchalantly in regard to his bird's choice and stood, gesturing to the door for her to proceed before him. In the rare moments of his older age Lilith immediately noted how much more laid back he'd become, how much less of an entirely selfish asshole he was. The change was so obvious to her more than it was to everyone else around them. She smiled a bit at this, only cut short when she heard Zero saying a haiku to someone, then Maya almost tripping over a spare box of ammunition when the Assassin appeared behind her. His visor was displaying a question mark while the younger Siren fumbled with her shield in hopes to seem less startled. Chuckling softly to herself the older Siren continued past them, glad that at least one of them wasn't in turmoil every second of the day. Once at the fast travel station Mordecai took the lead and pressed the button to commence travel. It was, as was every travel, an extremely short trip though Lilith never really got used to rematerializing. Once at the travel station in Tundra Express the hunter began a steady trek through the snow laden ground towards Tina's. Lilith assumed they would take a runner but it seemed that Mordecai needed to blow of some steam for moments later he produced his trusty rifle. Traveling without a gun was always an unwise choice on Pandora; Lilith retrieved her handy corrosive machine gun just as Roland lifted off to assist her master.

And boy was Mordecai trigger happy, she noted. He hadn't even waited for her, blasting varkid after varkid with his slagged rifle before sending Roland after the weakened creatures. He, too, would whip out an incendiary revolver to follow up the killing process, the look of concentration on his face only rivaled by the angered, frustrated tightening of his lips. Lilith frowned a bit at this, the look appearing wrong all over his face. Mordecai was many things but serious and concentrated weren't usual for him. He was such a laid back person that it irked Lilith to the core to see how much had changed in her friend and old lover. It caused her to pause mid-step and examine her own hands that held her prized weapon of choice, one she had kept with her through everything. With careful tune-up and constant care her machine gun had never faltered, unlike herself. She had tried, desperately when no one was looking, to mend herself back together. She tried to fix the broken pieces, tried to sew the open wounds closed for fear that she'd be discovered. Until now no one was uncertain about whether she'd moved on from Roland's untimely death. For all intents and purposes she appeared strong, valiant, unwavering to the end, common psychosis notwithstanding. The people of Sanctuary had not seen her crack since she took leadership of the city nor had they seen her show any miniscule moment of weakness.

Only one had. And he had been a part of it.

Sighing, she made a strong albeit foolish attempt to rid her mind of such thoughts, her fingers ghosting over the machine gun one more time before pointing at the nearest slagged varkid courtesy of Mordecai. While incendiary weapons worked best on disposing of the creatures she found that, while slagged, the corrosive did a fair share of damage itself. When she came back to her senses she saw that the hunter had annihilated quite the amount of varkids and the carcasses were strewn across the field before them, the soil bloodied and scene gruesome. She shuddered involuntarily, the sight a reminder of the changes he had undergone. With a heavy sigh she continued to trek after him when it appeared he could not look back at her or acknowledge everything that lay between them. It was only when they arrived at Tina's that Mordecai finally broke from his concentrated stupor. When the now 15 year old girl grabbed him by the arm, her long blonde hair held in place by clips made from spiderant legs, Mordecai let a small smile grace his lips that was defined by the age lines around the edges of his mouth. Lilith admired them for a moment before Tina grabbed her hand too, leading them both over to her now revamped tea table—it now sported bandit masks as placemats and spiderant table legs. She chatted with them for the next few hours about dating and such; something Lilith wasn't even sure was possible for her on Pandora. Neither knew if there was anyone her age left in the area that wasn't a bandit anyway.

They had a rather informal tea party followed by Tina bidding them adieu in her maniacal way before sending them back off into the night. And the trek back was completely awkward and tense despite them, silently, having made up in some way, shape or form. Silence was the reigning trend until Mordecai paused in front of her with his boots violently crunching the dirt gravel beneath his feet, his body rigid and faced forwards without any indication of what was going through his head. Lilith stopped to stare at him with an uncertainty only made complacent by the fact that there was an unearthly tingling sensation coursing through her veins, which she attributed to her Eridium usage. Suddenly the air became tense with undertones of malice and frustration, something that both picked up on simultaneously. Bristling, the Siren continued to look at his back in question.

"Lilith." She nodded though he couldn't see her. "I think you should get back to Sanctuary. It's been a long day. I'm gonna…head home."

The sniper's outlook tower looked daunting in the distance, lonely, a perfect place for solace and to drown his woes in more alcohol. Before she could stop herself—and no longer sure she wanted to—the golden eyed goddess reach out, palm flat against his back in a silent request. Mordecai brought his gaze to the dusty floor, his expression accentuated by the silver moon that bathed them in its ethereal light. He could see the shine of Lilith's tattoo though the color looked like a glowing grey outlined by white light to his colorblind gaze. She opened her mouth, unsure.

"Mordecai…I…you should come back to the city." He tensed at her statement, the implications of her words putting him on guard. She could feel the change in the atmosphere, the charged energy between his clothing and her fingers stinging. The raw anger starting to build didn't frighten her but made her antsy nonetheless. Her request held ambiguity neither was ready to face. Sensing it was a bad idea to pursue this topic Lilith retracted her hand, curling into herself in a most uncharacteristic manner. "I…you're right. I have to get back to check on Tannis. I'll see you later." As she turned to head back to the fast travel station, she threw his back a forlorn look. "Mordecai?" A shrug answered her, his only response. "Take care."

Seconds later he heard the buzz of the materialization signaling she had fast traveled back to Sanctuary, leaving him and his thoughts to the night, to the silence. Sighing, he finally managed to look over his shoulder in time to see a blonde head bob into view.

"You know…for loving her so much, you sure fucked that one up."

Rolling his eyes and his shoulders at the same time the hunter shot Tina an off-hand scowl. "How long have you been eavesdropping?"

"Long enough. Spying on you is child's play! Must be your old age." She quipped cheerily. They stood there for a moment, Tina bouncing on the balls of her feet for a few more minutes before she suddenly stopped and glanced at the hunter besides her. "Mordecai?" He nodded shortly. "You gonna go after? A woman like Lilith is strong but she's still a woman. If I was her…I'd want comfort. Don't you think you've wasted enough time?"

In the two years since Roland's death Mordecai had kept an eye on Tina in his absence, watching her grow from a crazed 13 year old expert demolitionist to a 15 year old crazed but more mature teenager. It irked him how in tune she was with the rest of the world and its emotions when she was so damaged, so alone in Tundra Express. But then again, to be involved with the Vault Hunters and to live on Pandora meant loneliness and craziness to a certain degree. Tina's psychosis was always present; it's who she was. Yet her maturity came from a series of bad experiences and her loss of family at the hands of bandits, Fleshstick being one of them. Sighing at this train of thought, the Sniper nodded again. He didn't hate to admit that she was right but felt a sense of foreboding at chasing Lilith, almost as if the explosive feelings inside him would scar whatever remainder of friendship and a connected they still shared. He needed to cool off, maybe even drink before this conversation took place or one of them might say something stupid and it'd end in fire and shouting, insults and hate. Steeling his nerves and bidding Tina a quick goodnight, the Sniper made his way back towards his perch with Roland cawing as if she knew what was to come. Tina watched his figure continue to fade until she could no longer see him in the night surrounding her. Chuckling insanely, the teenager made her way back to her home with the hopes that someday she would be able to say that she understood adults. In the meantime, she settled for bombs.

'_After all, bombs are easy, aren't they?'_

* * *

_(Part 4 has been completed, and man…it was rough! I tried to think of Mordecai years later…difficult! I still love Roland so there won't be any bashing. But yes, as it is Lilith and Mordecai I've had to…kinda twist things around. I'm trying not to get TOO out of character but it's proving a bit difficult when it comes to their…romantic, loving interactions. That's probably why it's dragged on sooooo long. In a happier note, yay, very mild, mild Maya/Zero and Tina made an appearance! Next chapter is, most likely, the FINAL chapter, FINALLY. Off I go to finish part 5 AND working on my Maya/Zero story!)_

_~sadistickunais_


	5. Part 5

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will Borderlands, and this is NOT for profit. All this belongs to the rightful owners: 2K, Gearbox games, whatever else…can't remember all their names but you get the drift. I own NOTHING. Because If I did…lemme tell you how it would have turned out…hehe.

A/N: So, here's the conclusion. Picks up right where Part 4 left off, and it's lemony, for sure. No real plot details here, or storyline, so don't be surprised. If you're disappointed, I'm sorry. But this is the aftermath of years—not a chapter, so don't be deceived. Also, I know that some of the reviews have expressed an interest in extending this story, or have pinpointed some issues with the characters and their development, ages, etc. To that I say this: Thank you so very much for all your wonderful feedback, criticism, PMs, reviews, etc. I appreciate everything everyone has said, positive and negative. That's all I got right now, peeps. I have a lot of other fics I need to fix.

FYI: EVERY reference to the term "asshat" is property, or the idea of, Blitz Chick, who wrote "In Your Eyes" for the BL archive. I loved the term for Mordecai and couldn't resist. All credit for that nickname goes to her because that's where I saw it. Also…I can't remember which Author had the idea to rename Mordecai's new Bloodwing egg Roland but I like it and stuck with it. Credit for this goes to that Author.

* * *

**And Thus We Begin**

Dematerialization and then rematerializing was something Lilith decided she would never get used to no matter how many times Hyperion's digital infrastructure New-U stations did this for her, to her. It hadn't been normal before they opened the Vault and she was sure it wouldn't change anytime soon. Sighing, she placed her submachine gun back in its gun holster that was attached securely to her thigh. It was already dark and most inhabitants of the city had retired for the evening. It was quiet everywhere save for the music drifting loudly out from Moxxi's bar. The faint aroma of pizza infiltrated her nostrils and Lilith suddenly felt very hungry. Yet the thought of facing all her companions at the current time seemed daunting and instead, she made her way back towards the Crimson Raiders base where she figured she could do some routing of supply shipments. Truth be told, this would be an utterly boring task but given the present situation between her and Mordecai, she felt like a distraction was necessary. It was comforting, she noted upon entering, to know that the base was relatively empty. All the occupants, save for one, had departed elsewhere much to her relief and slight disappointment. Being mostly alone inside the headquarters was something that she relished and dreaded at the same time. Where as having a companion around meant certain interrogation that she was no apt to comply with, it also meant she could vent and share her thoughts and not be alone.

There wasn't exactly any type of privacy in Sanctuary, especially not in the crimson raiders base. She had found that Tannis remained downstairs while the remainder of their friends had headed over to Moxxi's for celebratory drinks, courtesy of their large pile of money from whatever mission they'd completed. Lilith had declined the unspoken offer to join them in the evening, only moments prior to Mordecai phasing back into the city to talk to her. She was unaware that he had returned to Sanctuary due to the fact that she was pouring over shipment routes in a desperate effort to distract her wandering mind and thoughts. It was proving rather futile, the map before her glowing bright blue and, coincidentally, remaining the same one she'd been staring at for at least fifteen minutes. Sighing, she walked over to the control panels and monitors to take a brief respite from the digital construct, her eyes burning from lack of sleep. Her thoughts immediately came flooding back as she rested idly in the chair, her fingers playing with the frayed hem of her shirt. The heat of Pandora didn't seem that present in the nighttime, especially now with where she'd phased the city. Instead, there was a cool breeze that blew in through the opening that led to the balcony, a gentle zephyr not filled with the scent of death or blood. Biting back a moan at the soreness in her muscles, Lilith let her head fall back and practically fell out of her seat to see Mordecai's tall, lanky frame in the doorway.

"Hey."

She quickly picked herself up, eyes wide in surprise. "Mordecai…what're you doing here?"

He shifted from foot to foot, seemingly uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Couldn't sleep," he supplied lamely.

Lilith snorted in disbelief. "Cut the crap. Just spill whatever bullshit you need to, okay?" She scowled. "You're angry. I get it; you've been drinking not that it's surprising."

Mordecai raised a brow, hands suddenly clenching into fists. "I'm angry? What about you? All this shit the last 2 years…don't even act like you don't have "bullshit" you need to say! Why don't you admit to it, all the crap you've silently given me since before we opened the vault? Madre de Dios, Lilith, stop pretending like everything is fine and this shit is going to just disappear with time! Stop fuckin runnin away!"

The angry retort caught her off-guard. She hadn't seen him this angry in years, not since he'd wilted away into a laid-back, drunken recluse. It'd been years since she'd seen him get so aggravated, the last time and only time in between being when he lost Bloodwing and Roland the two years prior. Ever since then he'd fallen into a drunken stupor that had separated all of them so heavily she was shocked that either of them had the energy to argue anymore. Granted she was wound up so tight from never resting in their mission to cleanse Hyperion from the planet, from the constant adrenaline rush of fighting bandits, of running the city, of maintaining their composures—their exteriors were bound to crack. She just hadn't been sure whose would crack first. It happened to be Mordecai, and it rocked her to the core how angry he was, how his seething could erupt so easily and heavily. But his comment irritated her and she felt her phoenix wings flex before she could stop them. At least for his part, Mordecai had the sense to not encroach further though he made no signs of backing away.

"Me, running away? Listen to yourself you damn drunk! Who was the one who up and left? _You_ ran away, you bastard! _You_ left, remember?" Her fingernails were digging into her flesh so hard she knew she'd have scars later but she could care less, her golden eyes glowing, her body blazing with searing heat. She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "And I wasn't the one who became a raging alcoholic, worse than before!"

The hunter frowned at this comment, his eyes hardening behind the green tinted goggles covering his eyes from view. "Low blows, huh, Siren? Okay, I'm a raging alcoholic, but I'm not the one addicted to Eridium!" She took a surprised step back but did not refute his words. "Yeah, didn't think anyone caught onto that, didja? Roland wouldn't admit it but he knew you were getting addicted to that junk. It's like a drug; you have a habit now! It's been tearing you apart for years. Your power comes at a cost, little girl. Didn't count on that, I'll bet."

It had now become a battle of wills, a battle of who could tear down the other further. His words cut her, the reminder that the Eridium was indeed damaging was just another jab to her already crumbling control of her powers. In order to harness such greatness cost a heavy price and her body felt weak without the substance. She knew that he was right; they weren't any different. They all had vices and she was no better than he. But her anger refused to be curbed by his statement and she lashed out at him again, her wings flexing further in warning when he did not back down. Roland wouldn't have infuriated her so, he wouldn't have antagonized her, he wouldn't have allowed her animosity to erupt so carelessly, so frighteningly. Her wrath felt uncontrollable as she took a step forward towards the hunter who still stood stubbornly rooted to his spot. His arms were crossed over his chest in a clear stance of defiance, which signaled he was not about to move or give into her fury. The phrase "tantrum" flitted across her annoyed thought process for a split second as she continued to step closer to his stone-still frame. It was only when she was within inches of him that she was able to observe the absolute tightness of his posture, of his lips, of his muscles. She couldn't sense fear within him but she did sense uncertainty and unusual rancor.

"What makes you better? What gives you the right to judge, asshat?" Her tone was dangerous.

He cocked his head a slight bit, his eyes hidden but speaking volumes to her purple-hued aura. "I'm not better. And I'm not judging. I'm saying what I see. You've said as much. When was the last time you were this angry and allowed that to come out? Before you were pacified?"

The statement hit her like a ton of bricks, the unspoken insinuation not missed on her. She hadn't been this riled up, this on edge in years. She had exploded when Roland had been murdered but that was the last time in the past two years; before his death, she hadn't been angry since the destruction of New Haven. Everything in between was a blur of steady de-escalation when she did happen to get so upset she thought she'd burst. It was almost as if her anger had nowhere to go. There was never a good time or space to fly off the handle as the saying went. Jaw tight, Lilith spun away from the Sniper for a minute, her wispy, fiery wings almost hitting him in the process but she was too distracted to care. She didn't have to be gentle with Mordecai, didn't have to consider his feelings because he was tough enough to take it. His hardened exterior, the things he'd seen, his arrogance—all of it made for the perfect attitude on Pandora. He wasn't into saving people though he wasn't above helping them if necessary. He wasn't into giving orders or taking them. He was into getting the job done. He could take her anger, her psychosis, her neurosis, her bitterness, everything she ever threw at him without trying to calm her down. He was still here, wasn't he? She bit her lip at the realization as it dawned on her and all the puzzle pieces connected, fell into place before her very eyes. He took it because he could, because he didn't care about pacifying her, changing her, doing anything to her.

Upstairs on the top floor in the dimly lit control room, which was still frequently used to keep Sanctuary connected to the outside world, an ethereal glow surrounded them, a result of Lilith's abilities manifesting in the enclosed space. The bright orange light bounced off of Mordecai's eyewear, infuriating her wrath further when she couldn't make out his expression in response to her accusation. He stood there, arms hanging at his side and jaw set in a rigid thin line; the only indication that he was unhappy with the current situation. Throwing her hands up in the air the Siren did her best to quell her angry outburst, trying to calm and pull her wings back into herself. It proved only slightly successful when the wispy, practically opaque wings dulled in appearance. However, they did not fully retract and, as a result, Mordecai said nothing further nor did he make a move towards her. She figured he was doing this for his own safety, which she thought was wise since, given her current thought process, she wasn't sure what she was capable of. Seconds later she managed to fully recall her powers and fell back against the panel, the distance between them smaller now but the space full of crackling, malicious tension that neither was sure how to approach. Her mind was going a million miles a minute trying to wrap her brain around her sudden epiphany and his words echoing through her head. Surprise etched over her features when his voice cut through her thought process, exhausted, pained.

"Those things…the things you said earlier in Tundra Express…were they true?"

She bit her tongue when she felt an overwhelming wave of self consciousness and embarrassment wash over her. It wasn't a surprise that they were talking as if they hadn't just had a semi-showdown moments before; it was how they functioned together. But his question caught her off-guard and her emotions arose, bubbling over into her mind, uncontrolled, unabated. With a tight smile, she nodded. "Yeah…they were."

"Are they?"

When she didn't reply, instead offering him an unreadable stare, Mordecai's body sagged, the tension released. His frame hit the wall behind him, a look of defeat on his face. Sighing, he let his head fall back. "Fuck… I really can't believe all this time…after everything…" He didn't seem to be speaking to her anymore if the anguish in his tone was any indication. She stared at him again for a second before he brought his face to look back at hers, his lips forming a weakened, downtrodden smile. "I'm sorry, Lilith. I meant what I said, too."

Her words caught in her throat, her eyes wide as they stared; a split second later she was in front of him. Lilith's fingers delved into the red bindings covering his entire torso, her breasts pressed flushed against him with his back to the wall. Her small lithe body was short compared to his tall frame but she didn't care. Mordecai's hands were tense and tight on her shoulders, his head resting against the wall while his mouth pleaded for her to stop though the request had no real plea behind it, nor was it acknowledged by the Siren. Within seconds she had divested him of his crimson bindings and her nimble hands moved to work on removing his belt. The frustration mounted when she couldn't get him unclothed fast enough and Lilith snapped, throwing herself away from him, head in her hands as tears began to flow. Silence dawned on them, the only sounds emanating around the room were her shaky sobs and Mordecai's uneven panting. He couldn't bear the sound of her cries, knowing that she was torn between the feelings of betrayal for a man she had loved, and confusion at her present, rather obvious sentiments. So he recomposed himself and made his way over to her. Lilith was huddled onto the nearest chair, elbows on her knees as the sobs wracked her body in tremors. Mordecai quickly fell to a crouch before her, his hands slowly coming to rest on her knees, rubbing them in slow circles to get a response from her. After what seemed like forever she brought her face away from her hands to look at him, cheeks tear stained and bottom lip quivering earnestly. She was so unlike herself that it stunned both of them. But then again, many years had passed between them.

Mordecai brought a finger to rest underneath her chin, a lopsided smile on his lips. "Lil…"

"I'm so sorry…I don't…fuck…what did I do?"

He chuckled lowly. "I'm not upset if that's what you're askin."

"Mordy…"

He shook his head. "What's gotten into us, right?"

She nodded. "I'm…I just…I can't…"

Mordecai shook his head, his hand coming up to gently cup her cheek. "Don't be ashamed. I get it." Lilith's lip trembled again but this time he did not say a word. Instead, he leaned in closer, carefully bringing their lips together in a soft, tentative but chaste kiss. Lilith's eyes birthed fresh tears as she waited but a moment before she slid her arms around his shoulders, fingers interlaced to secure him there. They could taste the salt of her tears on their lips but neither cared. The hunter loved her more than his own breath. He understood what Roland had meant when the man had reminded him that she was a treasure, a gem. The Hunter remembered not only what she was, but who she was as well. He traced the contours of her face, the subtle lines of age from a life full of stress, fights, battles, struggles; all unique. He sunk into the curves of her body, thin frame molding to hers while they continued to kiss gently, fully, genuinely. It had taken them almost a decade to come to terms with their feelings and he wasn't about to not pay attention. This time he vowed it wouldn't be just a sexual encounter, a time for pent up gratification, a relief of tension. This time, he vowed, he would make love to her properly because he was in love with her, wholly.

When Lilith pulled back with flushed cheeks and a shy smile, she couldn't help but chuckle at Mordecai's expression. Her golden eyes met his sky blue pair, wide, alert and comfortable.

"You…knew, didn't you? And this whole time you…never stopped?" She inquired, fingers still locked behind his neck though they had shifted positions—Mordecai sitting Indian style with Lilith straddling him. He smiled, trademark smirk absent. It made contentment swell within her and she leaned forward, her nose touching hers. "We were…so foolish, Mordy. I should've been honest."

"Lil…" his tone was serious. Noses still touching, she brought her gaze to his, eyes questioning. "I love you. I always have…even…before all this."

Her eyes began to water. "I know…I've always loved you, idiot. I already told you that, remember?"

Neither said anything following this confession, Mordecai just breathing in the scent of lilies, of burnt earth, of eridium—her scent. After a few seconds he slowly stood to his feet, pulling her with him, her small feminine hands in his own calloused pair. "Lil…"

She looked up at him. As tenderly as possible, he leaned down and gently kissed her again. One of his hands carefully traveled down the length of her arms, fingers tracing her Siren tattoo so softly, as if she was made of glass. The other hand moved to cup her jawbone, his palm stretching across the expanse of her cheekbones. Her body trembled underneath his ghosted ministrations, causing her to moan a bit into his lips at the practically bare contact of his skin to hers. His touch was so soft, so unlike the first time, that it was surprising to her. She paused in the middle of this to pull back again, her hands slowly moving up his face until her fingers slid under the elastic band that held his protective eyewear to his face. Her slender fingers traveled over his cheeks as she completely removed the goggles from his head. The red bindings atop his head fell with the plastic goggles to the floor, revealing his continually graying hair and tired eyes that gazed at her with emotion they'd both been denying themselves. He ran a finger down the side of her face, tracing the contours of her pale skin that hosted a thin layer of grime from the days' events. Regardless, Mordecai found her unearthly beauty not just enticing but magnetic as though it was pulling him in. He said nothing, surprising her when he suddenly stood and enclosed her small hand in his, his head and eye coverings forgotten on the floor as he began to make his way towards the staircase.

Lilith let out a yelp. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere else. Ain't no privacy here."

Offering him a tired smile, she glanced around. "Where? There isn't anywhere private enough."

He paused for a moment. "Everyone's at Moxxi's, even Tannis."

She raised a brow. "Just lock the base door. No one is coming back until the morning. The night is still young."

He chuckled. "Really? Feels the exact opposite of that." He quickly turned them around and sat her down on the nearest, cleanest looking bunk. Signaling for her to stay, he disappeared downstairs where she soon heard him securing the locks to the crimson raiders base. It was mere moments before he reappeared, the glow of the control room filtering eerily over his facial features. Lilith gazed at him expectantly, her hands on either side of her body as she leaned back on the bunk. Mordecai stood there for a moment in complete awkwardness before Lilith stood to face him, one of her gloved hands coming to rest on his chest just as one of his hands came to settle on his waist. She looked into his eyes, their stare quiet, meaningful, curious and even shy. Mordecai raised his other hand to smooth over her hair, a sheepish smile placing his lips when he pulled her close against him. The silence around them spoke volumes, even though both adults knew what they wanted now, what had been denied, what had been pushed aside in light of things deemed more important. And now it was time and she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and embarrassed. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her before, like he hadn't touched her before or anything like that. But it had been years in between—she had aged. Sirens were known to be eternally beautiful but life on Pandora had changed them. Would he still think her beautiful?

As if sensing her concern the hunter gently kissed her forehead. "You're always beautiful, Lil. Nothing has changed."

She sighed at this, grateful that he thought so but unable to deny the way she felt, the aging of her body, of her mind and her heart. "I feel old. My body feels old."

He chuckled again, smile lines lighting up her tanned skin. "You think you do? I'm 12 years older than you, Lil. I'm the one who feels old."

"I still think you're handsome," she blurted out, staring up into his blue eyes that reminded her of an ocean they hadn't seen in years, of what Oasis should've looked like.

He offered her a light hearted smile, one filled with understanding and exhaustion. She didn't really expect anything to happen between them now, the weight of their confessions, of the realizations having lifted; but it didn't mean they weren't tired from all the years prior to it. Her body felt tense despite this weight being lifted, her muscles coiled together so tightly, aching for even another small touch from his gloved hands. There was something in his eyes that begged for them to move slow, to not rush, to enjoy each others' company. Her body wasn't crying out for something hard, something fast, something for tension and unforgiving. It wasn't craving a soft, sweet caress—it just wanted him, whatever he had to give. Sighing in resignation the Siren raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed the side of his lips, her eyes fluttering closed when he leaned into her, supporting his own body weight to not knock her off balance. Their fingers traced each other intimately, caresses feather soft and light in the stillness of the night air. Even the dull thumping bass of Moxxi's bar didn't quite penetrate the serene atmosphere around them. Nothing seemed to distract them when Mordecai carefully began to guide the Siren in front of him towards the bunks behind her. It was mere seconds until Lilith felt the backs of her legs hit the bed, meeting resistance until she started to lower them onto the mattress. It wasn't the best place to do this but then again, not many places in Pandora would offer anything remotely close to the faux comfort of their base.

Lilith was sure to bring the sniper with her as her back hit the medium padding of the bunk, her small frame quickly accommodating his taller one. Her legs quickly spread to allow him a resting place as their lips continued their previous kiss, his elbows supporting his weight on either side of her while her arms rested over his shoulders. Her fingers played sensuously within his hair, tangling as much of it as she could manage without pulling it or hurting him. From a vantage point it would seem that the two of them were practicing a slow method of completely melding into each other what with their bodies pressed so closely together they should've suffocated each other. But the movements, the touches and caresses, were deliberate, completely void of any heated rush or panicked desire. While the wanton need remained burned deep with Lilith's and Mordecai's lower anatomy it did not stop the slow burn of their joining. The hunter trailed the calloused fingers of his right hand lazily up and down the length of the Siren's body several times before stopping to rest on her hip and looked into her eyes again. The place where he'd paused reminded her very much of that first night when he'd marked her there. The mark, which had long since faded from view, had stuck there at least in her mind. She hadn't ever forgotten that gesture or any of the various marks he'd made on her body throughout the entire rendezvous, visible or not. And there were definitely some that weren't visible.

She let out a soft sigh when Mordecai's lips moved lethargically down her smooth skin, their dry, cracked texture causing her to shiver in response when it touched the plains of her pale flesh. It was somewhat erotic in the sense that it wasn't exactly the most pleasant feeling nor was it the sweetest feeling to be sure; but she loved it. Just the mere caress of his dry hands set her body aflame with chills of white hot fire that traveled all through her bloodstream, igniting while they moved about inside her veins. She could feel the heat emanating from his body through his shirt and her fingers itched to feel his scarred skin underneath her fingertips. She recalled exactly how it'd felt all those years ago and her body ached at the memory, wishing to renew it with a vigor even she didn't fully understand. On cue her hands drifted underneath the hem of his t-shirt that was free with the remainder of his crimson bindings on the floor a few feet away, running her palms over the surface of his taut abdomen. _'Some things haven't changed,' _she mused. His extremely thin build had always been a mystery to others in regards to how much strength he actually possessed beneath the layers of red vestments; judging by his tall, lanky frame it was assumed he had no brawn. But the truth was he did possess decent muscles despite his almost toothpick-like appearance, and he could pack a punch with his sharp knuckles. What the hunter lacked in brawn he always made up in the equivalent to intellect, experience and sniper skills. Still unrivaled on Pandora, the Hunter was able to accomplish several well placed shots even when he was practically falling over himself drunk.

Smiling to herself the Siren tugged at the dirtied cotton material keeping his chest covered, signaling to him that she wanted it removed. Her golden eyes glowed a bright white to his gaze, making her seem almost unreal, a figment of his imagination and he hoped to the Vault she wasn't. When he didn't heed her request at the moment she gave him a somewhat intrigued, questioning smirk.

"Thinking?"

Using her previous word choice, he shook his head. "No time for that."

Chuckling, he shifted his weight until he was on his knees between her thighs, which had lifted to accommodate the change in position so he could remove his shirt. His arm bands and vermillion head bindings still remained on his body and he threw her an inquisitive look, as if asking whether she wanted them off or not. Rising to a seated position Lilith reached up and carefully removed the red bindings from Mordecai's head though she left his hair pulled back; his arm bands followed shortly thereafter, along with—to his surprise and pleasure—her own vest and gloves. The tub top she wore underneath stayed on, to which Mordecai didn't wait as his fingertips crept to the hem of her own clothing, peeling the skin tight, stretchy but dusty material off of her. The normal awkwardness that accompanied a silent moment of nudity did not exist for them. Once her top was discarded onto the floor she pressed herself to his chest, her breasts brushing skin to skin, hot and filled with a fiery need that they'd agreed to quell with deliberate caresses. It was a familiar dance to both participants, a dance that did not require direction or instructions, voices or words. One look was all it took for both parties to fall into the natural sway of lovemaking.

Mordecai gently laid the Siren on her back, his mouth, his lips, his tongue worshipping every part of her that lay exposed. His lips glided down the sides of her neck, ghosted over the curves of her collarbone, her shoulder, her arms. His fingers splayed across the milky expanse of her abdomen with the barest of pressure from his calloused fingertips. Lilith moaned at the contact while her eyes slid shut, her own hands rising to dig into the naked skin of his back, feeling his shoulder bones protruding but only relishing in the fact that he hadn't changed. She could feel his teeth nip the softer parts of her bosom as he traveled lower, his tongue snaking out to mark a pathway down the valley of her breasts as he went. He only paused for mere moments at a time to carefully suck on her exposed, hardened nipples. Lilith shivered at the sensation, Mordecai's ministrations eliciting a moan of desire straight from her vocals. The hand that had been resting on her hip sprang back to life to cup her unattended breast, his hand starting a soft, sensual massage while he continued to lavish attention on its counterpart. Lilith felt her entire body tremble at the contact of his bristled hair brushing across her highly sensitized skin.

Every nerve ending in her body itched to touch Mordecai, to make him squirm and come undone under her grasp in a way neither of them had since that night 7 years ago. Recreating the feeling wasn't what she was aiming for but more of a high she'd experienced only with the Hunter, that's what she wanted. His svelte figure was far more powerful than anyone gave him credit for. It was a body made to hunt, to be quick, to invite a dangerous liaison into its lair to feed upon until satiated. This did not, however, deter the Firehawk in the least; it tempted. Everything about Mordecai was bold without being gaudy, terrifying without being blatant, strong without being obscene—it enticed the Phoenix within. Reborn as a creature she didn't quite yet understand, the Siren only knew that she needed an equally powerful match in order to remain as such. The Sniper proved to be formidable counterpart, a steadfast mate to her more primal urges. Lilith hissed when Mordecai's lips moved further and further down her newly scarred stomach, lips praising the inches of skin they kissed. The movements were meant to torture to a certain extent, purposeful in their trail until he was at the hem of her pants. His nimble digits curled around the waistband of her dirt laden pants, finding slight purchase before peeling them off of her sinewy legs. The cool air hit her legs, causing her to shiver and instantly want to cover up despite her body temperature being rather high. The man above her quickly stopped the hand that reached for the adjacent sheets, shaking his head with a quirk of his lips.

"I want to see all of you, Lil."

She blushed a brilliant shade of carnelian in response to his comment, nodding, the cold now completely forgotten when his hands drifted lower to the top hem of her underwear. That night long ago she did not wear them but now, he seemed relatively pleased to see that the process would take a little longer. _'Still quite the masochist,'_ she mused internally at the thought of him prolonging the actual act. Yet he appeared to be enjoying the slow descent, as it were, as he gradually began to pull her underwear down her long legs. She hadn't ever really been embarrassed about anything involved sex previous to now—but Lilith was still unaccustomed to love. Sex was sex. Love was something entirely alien and foreign to her as of the late. Whatever the case, the tameness of Mordecai's touch was something she hadn't expected. Back then it had all been rough and quick with neither party sure when they'd have another chance to screw the living daylights out of each other. But that was then. Now she was here underneath his still obvious expertise, under his unrepentant gaze as it traveled the length of her body with his lips as its partner without any kind of shame or any other emotion other than compassion. She was aware of how her body reacted to him, how it tensed and relaxed at every graze of his fingers upon her. She let out a strangled moan when he kissed her inner thighs, nipping at the skin with his teeth to make her tremble. She let out a shaky breath as their eyes met, a silent question in his own, a question she knew he knew the answer to. But he was mature enough to wait for her permission. Exhaling a shaky breath from what she knew was about to come, Lilith inclined her head slightly.

Mordecai's lips twitched at her reply, his teeth nipping her thigh again before he lowered his lips. Lilith's head fell back, her hands sliding to tangle in his hair, this time without much regard for any pain she exacted upon him as a result of his expertise. His tongue felt heavenly as it swirled across the sensitive bundle of nerves, his fingers gently caressing her. She was sufficiently damp but became more so when he fingers delved into her, building a steady rhythm as he pumped them in and out at a leisurely pace. His mouth sought anything he could get from her, licking, nipping, drinking in the nectar of lilies that always seemed to be unique just to her body. His hair brushed against her thighs again and Lilith quivered at the contact, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She let out a particularly long winded moan when his hands came up to rest on hips to drag her closer to him, his mouth greedily sucking up all she had to offer. This wasn't the first time he had taken her to such heights of ecstasy though time had been few and far in between. Her head felt dizzy, clouded with more than just the past, youthful lust she had felt all those years ago. This wasn't to say that lust wasn't existent in the current act but it didn't take over as it had all that time before. Whereas getting off, climaxing was the most important thing the first time they'd had sex—because it had been such—feeling every part of Mordecai against her, feeling every touch, every caress and sensation is what mattered to her now. She wanted, needed to feel every single part of him that he would offer to her burning fingertips.

Lilith already knew that she couldn't hold out much longer. It has been years since she'd been able to touch him, time passing fast but so slow it hurt to think about much more. Their separation had become an affliction that neither could overcome without the other and the Siren had reached a point where she would no longer hold out, for both their sakes. It was cruel. Time had passed. They'd changed, everything had. Clenching her hands into his locked hair, Lilith came with a final cry, her body shuddering painfully at his hands gripped her hips but did not bite into them as they had before. It was strange, like coming down from her high on Eridium but this was far easier, pleasurable, and she could feel him with her there; it wasn't a mirage. Many times in the past, after Roland's untimely death, Lilith would fluctuate between seeing her dead lover and her past lover while high on the Eridium. But this time she felt his skin on hers, felt his presence with her so she didn't have to hallucinate anymore. They had spent so much time coveting each other without being present. The old fire between them burned again, flared as it had all those years ago. Shivering, Lilith cupped the sides of Mordecai's face, raising it to meet his eyes, which were hazy, glazed over from satisfaction. Smiling, she slid backwards and he came forward to meet her, hands slipping to her sides. Too tired to exact the same favor on him, Lilith brought her gaze to his. Seeming to understand her silent question, the hunter nodded and moved forward again, gently pushing her back. He wanted to show her just how much he had needed her all the years that had passed in his lonely perch.

Settling between her thighs, Mordecai looked at her, again asking for permission to proceed. With a soft nod, Lilith's hands came to slide over his shoulders just as he slowly slipped into her warmth, a mix between a sigh and groan escaping him at this action. Lilith's head fell back onto the pillow, a moan leaving her painted lips when Mordecai's head fell to her sweat slicked breasts where it rested for a moment. His body wanted release so badly, wanted that which it had been deprived of for so very long; but he fought for control with every fiber of his being. He would not let it end so quickly, there was no way. Instead of rushing him, Lilith stayed still, savoring the feel of him buried deep within her, relishing in having him so close to her she thought she might wake up and have it be a dream. His body felt tight against hers, tense and taut as if he were struggling not to lose himself to her, in her. Bringing her hand to his hair, she rubbed his head affectionately while letting him take his time. She did not want this to be rushed just as much as she didn't want it to end too quickly. She'd be lying if she didn't want it to last too long; she wanted them to make love all night while the gang was gone. But the fatigue of the previous 7 years was catching up to her, to him, and she knew that before the night came to a close they'd both be knocked out on that bunker, dead asleep and not giving a damn if they were naked. But Mordecai seemed determined not to disappoint her as he raised himself on his hands so they could see each other, sky blue eyes to golden spheres.

And suddenly he moved causing Lilith to grip his shoulders when he began a slow rhythm for them, pulling out before slowly gliding back into her. She moaned again, her hands tangling in his hair for the thousandth time when he slid a hand over her cheek in a loving manner, something that made her smile and lines etch themselves around the edges of her red lips. Buried inside her, Mordecai felt like everything was stringing itself together, like her could finally rest comfortably, like his weary bones could finally take a break from the struggle of fighting for a planet that always seemed to retain turmoil. He felt more than heard her body sigh against his lean frame, the curves of her hips, the clench of her thighs relaxing though not releasing him. He could tell that, despite being fully inside of her and her fingers curled around his arms, Lilith's body was tired. Just like his. Neither moved for a few moments, both breathing steadily and wondering who would make the next move. Lilith let out a chuckle, smoothing her hand over his hair, tracing it down the side of his face before letting it linger on his lips. He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his chapped lips, a smile on hers. When she lay back down again, her golden eyes staring up at his, he felt his breath return though it staggered as if he'd had the wind knocked out of his lungs. She was breathtaking, even without all the color in the universe.

"We're not done yet," he said breathily between kisses when she pulled his lips to hers again at his questioning gaze.

"Not by a long shot, asshat, and it's going to be a while," she whispered. "But," she kissed his lips, briefly. "You can make it up to me whenever. We're tired, Mordecai, and we both know it."

He nodded, understanding what she meant. They may not finish right in the moment but Lilith was happy and so was he. Gathering him in her arms with him still buried deep inside her, Lilith urged him to lay his head between her breasts, her legs still cradling him while her hands ran up and down his back. Mordecai felt sleep tugging at him, felt the sluggishness overtaking his body. With his arms encircling her, he finally fell asleep, lulled by the steady beat of her heart and the warmth of the Firehawk. It had taken them years to get to this place, a place without judgment, without fear, without restraint. Saving Pandora had been the best gift the citizens of Sanctuary were given. But for their leader, she could only close her eyes and let the aches of her body be soothed by the knowledge that the hunter was with her, that they could lay their weariness down, even if just for tonight. The Siren could only smile in contentment. Pandora may not be saved, not by a long shot—but she was okay with that.

* * *

_(Yay! It's done!_

_For now. I'm thinking I want to do a sequel, or tie it into my Maya/Zero fanfic, which will be multi-chaptered now! WOOT! Well, I know the sex scene wasn't as graphic, nor did they even finish but that's kind of the point, seriously. I didn't get lazy and not finish it. This is supposed to be a LOVE scene, not a sex scene or a PWP scene. Anyway, yay, it's done! I hope you all will follow the next one whenever it actually comes out. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long. Love you all, thank you for reading this fanfic!)_

_~sadistickunais_


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